SUMMIT, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TV host and fashion journalist Louise Roe launches the INSIDE PERSPECTIVE campaign with Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) and Otezla® (apremilast), and for the first time, shares her inside story with psoriasis, a condition she has been living with for more than a decade. Louise knows that outward appearances can be deceiving, which is why going beneath the surface can give you an entirely new perspective. As part of the campaign, she hopes to raise awareness about psoriasis, which appears on the surface of the skin but actually starts inside the body, and highlight the importance of tackling treatment from within.
Like many of the estimated 7.5 million people in the United States living with psoriasis—an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin as raised, red, itchy patches but starts inside the body—Roe initially hid her struggle with the condition.
Fresh off her reporting duties from this season’s fashion weeks, the founder of the popular fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog Front Roe wants to share her story to help others living with the condition. While working at a fashion magazine in London at the age of 25, Roe was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis, and it wasn’t always easy being confident in an industry where outward appearance plays a central role. After working with her doctor and educating herself more on the disease and ways to manage it, she decided to stop letting her condition dictate her life and confidence, and instead, embraced who she was beyond her psoriasis. She continued to work towards her goals and built a successful fashion career as a journalist, TV host, author and blogger. Now, she wants to inspire others to do the same.
Through the INSIDE PERSPECTIVE campaign, Roe had the opportunity to swap worlds for a day with one of her very own fans who lives with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and takes Otezla. Their experiences are chronicled in an inspiring video where they share their inside perspectives and heartfelt insights from each other’s lives, as well as the importance of looking beneath the surface and embracing who they are both inside and out. The full story can be viewed at www.PsOPerspective.com.
“I noticed when I would get stressed, I would develop red patches on my legs and stomach. I found myself planning my wardrobe at red carpet events to hide my plaques, and when my symptoms were so bad that I couldn’t hide them – both physically and emotionally – I would end up canceling personal and work plans,” said Roe. “It wasn’t until I worked with my dermatologist to develop a treatment plan to help me manage my symptoms, that I learned focusing on the outside isn’t enough. By sharing my story through this campaign, I hope to encourage others to better understand their condition from within and feel more confident in their skin, too.”
“The patients I see who suffer from plaque psoriasis symptoms experience a significant impact on their daily lives,” said Gary Goldenberg, MD, New York City based dermatologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. “Symptoms such as flaking and scaling appear on the surface of the skin, so many people are not aware that psoriasis is actually an autoimmune disease that begins to develop beneath the skin’s surface. One option that treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis differently and from within is Otezla®. Otezla is a pill – not an injection, not a cream, and not a biologic – that can help some people achieve up to 75% clearer skin after four months. I recommend that all people with psoriasis speak with their dermatologist to find a treatment plan that works for them.”
Otezla is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. Please see Important Safety Information for Otezla below.
“At Celgene, we are committed to providing support to the psoriasis community, not only through our medicines, but through programs like the INSIDE PERSPECTIVE campaign to help them to better understand and manage their disease,” said Terrie Curran, President, Global Inflammation and Immunology, Celgene. “We are proud to collaborate with Louise Roe for these efforts to help raise awareness of the nature of this chronic condition.”
To learn more about the INSIDE PERSPECTIVE campaign, psoriasis, and Louise’s personal story visit www.PsOPerspective.com.
About Celgene
Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through next-generation solutions in protein homeostasis, immuno-oncology, epigenetics, immunology and neuro-inflammation. For more information, please visit www.celgene.com. Follow Celgene on Social Media: @Celgene, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About Otezla
Otezla® (apremilast) treats plaque psoriasis differently. Otezla is a pill – not an injection, not a cream, and not a biologic. For more information, talk to your dermatologist or visit www.otezla.com.
APPROVED USE
Otezla® (apremilast) is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not take Otezla® if you are allergic to apremilast or to any of the ingredients in Otezla.
Otezla can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, especially within the first few weeks of treatment. Use in elderly patients and the use of certain medications with Otezla appears to increase the risk of having diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Tell your doctor if any of these conditions occur.
Otezla is associated with an increase in depression. In clinical studies, some patients reported depression and suicidal behavior while taking Otezla. Some patients stopped taking Otezla due to depression. Before starting Otezla, tell your doctor if you have had feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts or behavior. Be sure to tell your doctor if any of these symptoms or other mood changes develop or worsen during treatment with Otezla.
Some patients taking Otezla lost body weight. Your doctor should monitor your weight regularly. If unexplained or significant weight loss occurs, your doctor will decide if you should continue taking Otezla.
Some medicines may make Otezla less effective, and should not be taken with Otezla. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines.
Side effects of Otezla include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, upper respiratory tract infection, tension headache, and headache. These are not all the possible side effects with Otezla. Ask your doctor about other potential side effects. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or planning to breastfeed. Otezla has not been studied in pregnant women or in women who are breastfeeding.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs
to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch,
or call 1-800-332-1088.
Please click here for Full Prescribing Information.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are generally statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "will," "outlook" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, assumptions and projections, and speak only as of the date they are made. Celgene Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in light of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Celgene's control. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of the impact of a number of factors, many of which are discussed in more detail in Celgene's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
© 2018 Celgene Corporation 08/18 US-OTZ-18-0355
