Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) Teams Up With Olympic Swimmer On Psoriasis Awareness

0
Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) Teams Up With Olympic Swimmer On Psoriasis Awareness

Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) has announced that it has teamed up with Olympic swimmer and 12-time medalist Dara Torres to bring more awareness on plaque Psoriasis. The two will launch a campaign called ‘Show More of You’, with the aim of inspiring people living with the disease. Torres has suffered from psoriasis since the late 1990s. As part of the campaign, she aims to tell her story.

Torres noted that she started observing red, irritable, flaky patches on her elbow and back and they seemed to be aggravated by stress. She emphasized that she did not let embarrassment or fear keep her out of the bathing suit and the pool but worked with her dermatologist to manage the condition. The campaign might have a significant impact since a past survey has shown that nine out of ten people living with psoriasis experience fear or embarrassment about their condition. The study also indicated that half of the patients were dissatisfied with their treatment options.

The campaign will also be bringing the spotlight to Celgene’s Otezla, a drug used to treat the condition. It won the FDA’s approval back in 2014 but since then is has received serious competition. Taltz from Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) and Consentyx from Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) recently joined the market. Other drug makers including Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are also working on their candidates. In addition to the early head start into the market, Otezla has a dosing advantage. It is a pill and not an injectable, a fact that has helped in generating $471.7 million in 2015 sales.

Psoriasis patients can join the campaign through ShowMoreOfYou.com, and add their photo and message while watching and reading Torres’s story.