BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Launches 'My Expressions of Kindness' Charitable Campaign to Raise Awareness and Support for Make It Right, Dress for Success and Children's Action Network

IRVINE, Calif., March 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To celebrate acts of kindness around the country, Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN), the maker of BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA), has announced the "BOTOX® Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness" charitable campaign.  Allergan is asking everyone who is treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic, or is considering talking to their physician about treatment, to post acts of kindness online to help raise up to a quarter of a million dollars for three deserving charities: Make It Right, Dress for Success and Children's Action Network.  The online fundraising campaign is being spearheaded by television personality, long-time volunteer and BOTOX® Cosmetic advocate Didiayer Snyder, who is joined by fellow BOTOX® Cosmetic fans Emmy®-nominated actress and singer Vanessa Williams, best-selling author Vicki Iovine, Oscar®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and five-time gold medalist Nadia Comaneci as campaign ambassadors.  

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(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100325/MM70999 )

People are asked to get involved and show their support by visiting the campaign Web site at ExpressKindnessCampaign.com to complete a "My Expressions of Kindness" profile.  Upon completion, a $25 donation will be automatically generated and each person will have the opportunity to choose whether it will benefit Make It Right, Dress for Success or Children's Action Network.  The "My Expressions of Kindness" profiles completed by each of the campaign ambassadors who have pledged their support to one of the charity partners is also posted on the Web site.  Other social media fundraising activities include Facebook and Twitter.

Mrs. Snyder is supporting Make It Right, which builds safe, green and affordable homes for working families in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.   Ms. Williams, who spearheaded the 2009 "BOTOX® Cosmetic: Express Success" campaign with Dress for Success, returns this year and is joined by Ms. Iovine in support of Dress for Success, which helps disadvantaged women express success in the workforce by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in work and life.  Ms. Madsen and Ms. Comaneci are supporting Children's Action Network, which finds homes for foster children who are waiting for an adoptive family and works to improve outcomes for children in foster care.  The organizations were selected based on research that shows women are drawn to causes that support their core emotional values – underserved communities, family and health.

"I'm thrilled to be spearheading the 'BOTOX® Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness' charitable campaign because it is a way to give back to the community by supporting causes that are important to many men and women," said Mrs. Snyder.  "Allergan asked me to become involved because they knew I dedicated a significant amount of time to supporting those less fortunate and that I was a big fan of BOTOX® Cosmetic.  Now people who are treated with or thinking about talking to their doctor about being treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic to temporarily reduce the appearance of the '11' – those moderate to severe vertical lines between the brows that can give your face a tired and stressed look – can spread kindness online to help raise much-needed funds for Make It Right, Dress for Success and the Children's Action Network.  It's fun, easy and a great way to support those in need."

"With this campaign, we are delighted BOTOX® Cosmetic can serve as a champion for causes that consumers care about and can help raise awareness and support for organizations that serve those less fortunate," said Robert Grant, president of Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc. "Since the approval of BOTOX® Cosmetic eight years ago, we have spearheaded consumer education campaigns that provide education about the product. Now, we are combining these efforts with charitable support and are joining hands with long-time supporters including Virginia Madsen, Vanessa Williams, Vicki Iovine and Nadia Comaneci - plus work with Didiayer Snyder our new ambassador - to support causes important to both them and the people who choose to talk to their doctor about being treated with our products."

For more information about the "BOTOX® Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness" campaign, please visit www.ExpressKindnessCampaign.com.  For more information about BOTOX® Cosmetic, please visit www.BOTOXCosmetic.com.

About BOTOX® Cosmetic

BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA), a prescription medicine, is a purified protein that temporarily improves the look of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the brows in adults younger than 65 years of age.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is administered by a healthcare professional as a simple, nonsurgical treatment that is injected directly into the muscles between the brows.  It works by blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles.  This temporarily reduces muscle activity that causes persistent lines to form between the brows.

BOTOX® Cosmetic has been the most popular of all physician-administered non-surgical aesthetic procedures for seven years running(1) and approximately 11.8 million(2) BOTOX® Cosmetic procedures have been administered in the United States since 2002.  

Indication

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) in adults younger than 65 years of age for a short period of time (temporary).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic:

• Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.

• Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice (dysphonia), trouble saying words clearly (dysarthria), loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing.

There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX®Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines.

The dose of BOTOX® Cosmetic is not the same as, or comparable to, another botulinum toxin product.

Serious and or immediate allergic reactions have been reported.  These reactions include itchy rash, swelling, and shortness of breath. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you experience any such symptoms, further injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic should be discontinued.

Do not take BOTOX® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® or Dysport™; have a skin infection at the planned injection site.   

Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease], myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including severe dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and respiratory compromise (difficulty breathing) from typical doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic.

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; weakness of forehead muscles, such as trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (It is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to breastfeed (It is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic passes into breast milk).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal products.

BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, or vision problems. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.  

Other side effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of your eyelids, and dry eyes.  

For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see BOTOX® Cosmetic full Product Information, including Medication Guide.

About Make It Right

Make It Right builds safe, green and affordable homes for working families in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.  

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the U.K. and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

About Children's Action Network

Children's Action Network (CAN) uses the power of the entertainment community to increase awareness about children's issues and to make them a top priority in everyday life. CAN is currently dedicated to finding homes for the more than 123,000 children in the United States who are waiting for an adoptive family and improving outcomes for the more than 500,000 children in foster care.

About Didiayer Snyder

Didiayer Snyder may be known for strutting the catwalk in designs by the likes of Badgley Mischka, Randolph Duke and Roberto Cavalli, but her stunning exterior has certainly never outshined her inner intelligence and enthusiasm for design.  A native Australian, Didiayer studied carpentry and interior decorating at Ashworth College, skills which she has put to use to help others through volunteerism and roles on popular television programs.  Didiayer also educates aspiring young models on a healthy way to tackle the modeling industry through her 2008 how-to book, "On Your Mark," and motivational speaking engagements nationally.  To learn more, visit www.didiayer.com.

About Allergan, Inc.

Founded in 1950, Allergan, Inc., with headquarters in Irvine, California, is a multi-specialty health care company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices that enable people to live life to its greatest potential - to see more clearly, move more freely, express themselves more fully. The Company employs more than 8,300 people worldwide and operates state-of-the-art R&D facilities and world-class manufacturing plants. In addition to its discovery-to-development research organization, Allergan has global marketing and sales capabilities with a presence in more than 100 countries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including the statements by Mrs. Snyder and Mr. Grant, other statements regarding the safety, efficacy and adverse events associated with BOTOX® Cosmetic and statements regarding the "BOTOX® Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness" charitable campaign. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Allergan's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, general industry and medical device market conditions; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in the research and development and regulatory processes; challenges related to product marketing; inconsistency of treatment results among patients; general economic conditions; and governmental laws and regulations affecting domestic and foreign operations. Allergan expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors can be found in press releases issued by Allergan, as well as Allergan's public periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under the heading "Risk Factors" in Allergan's 2009 Form 10-K. Copies of Allergan's press releases and additional information about Allergan is available on the World Wide Web at www.Allergan.com or you can contact the Allergan Investor Relations department by calling (714) 246-4636.

© 2010 Allergan, Inc. Irvine, CA 92612. ® marks owned by Allergan, Inc.

Oscar® is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Emmy® is a registered trademark of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/NATAS)

APC52GL10

(1) ASPS 2008 statistics

(2) Data on file, Allergan, Inc.

SOURCE Allergan, Inc.