Novartis International AG

New patient survey highlights need for more action to help severe asthma patients gain control of their disease

Novartis International AG / Novartis International AG: New patient survey highlights need for more action to help severe asthma patients gain control of their disease . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Large-scale European patient survey found that 94% of severe allergic asthma patients were unable to fully control their disease
   

These new data underscore the disconnect between self-perceived control and clinical reality; a potentially limiting factor in patients seeking support to better control their condition
 

Helping patients recognize the possibilities of living a life with properly controlled asthma is central to a major new global patient engagement program being launched by Novartis, called Billion Breaths

Basel, 17^th June, 2017 - Novartis announced the results of a new survey of 904 severe asthma patients, presented today for the first time at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress[1]. Data from the 'Still Fighting for Breath' survey demonstrate that, despite the widespread availability of oral and inhaled treatments, asthma still places a huge burden on the personal and professional lives of those living with the disease in Europe.

The new survey revealed that high levels of uncontrolled disease still exist amongst adults and children with severe asthma. Asthma attacks (also known as exacerbations) were reported to be extremely common. Nearly three quarters (74%) of patients surveyed  experienced an attack serious enough to have required treatment from a healthcare professional in the emergency room, ambulance or at home.  Furthermore, almost a third (32%) of patients experienced three or more exacerbations during this time period. While a majority of patients (54%) experiencing an exacerbation physically recovered after treatment within 24 hours, these patients often remained psychologically affected for a prolonged period of time after the exacerbation, with almost a fifth of them (19%) reporting effects persisting over a week[1].