Have You Been Counted? Regeneron and Sanofi US Join Forces with Leading Cardiovascular Organizations to Raise Awareness of Cholesterol

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --  Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sanofi US (EURONEXT: SAN andNYSE: SNY) are collaborating with nationally-recognized patient and professional heart disease organizations to launch Cholesterol Counts, an awareness program that will gauge how much Americans know about cholesterol, their numbers, and the risks associated with high LDL-C (bad cholesterol).  American adults are encouraged to visit www.CholesterolCounts.com to take a brief poll and answer a few key questions about their health.  The results of the poll will provide a snapshot of cholesterol awareness levels across the country and be revealed in 2015. 

"Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S., and our organization works with patients who have experienced serious health consequences that are often related to high bad cholesterol, such as heart attack and stroke," said Michele Packard-Milam, CAE, Executive Director of Mended Hearts.  "It's important for people to talk to their doctors and educate themselves about the consequences of high bad cholesterol.  The Cholesterol Counts program is a great way for people to gauge how much they know about their own cholesterol and to learn more about this serious condition."

Sanofi US and Regeneron are teaming up with Foundation of the National Lipid Association (FNLA), Mended Hearts and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) on the Cholesterol Counts program.  These groups share a mission to bring attention to high cholesterol and specifically high LDL-C (bad cholesterol), which can lead to buildup of cholesterol plaque in arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes.¹  

Despite available treatment options and efforts to promote healthy lifestyle and diets, the statistics around high cholesterol and its impact remain staggering.  Of the approximately 71 million U.S. adults with high LDL-C (bad cholesterol), less than half are currently being treated with lipid-lowering therapy.³  Cholesterol levels remain high for many Americans.²

"It is concerning that millions of Americans with high LDL-C (bad cholesterol) are untreated,"³ said Ralph M. Vicari, MD, Vice President of FNLA.  "The Cholesterol Counts program will help us identify the gaps in identification and treatment of high cholesterol.  Hopefully, this will result in better treatment and awareness in our country."

Many patients may not be aware of the effects untreated high LDL-C (bad cholesterol) can have on their health, such as heart disease.²  Cholesterol Counts aims to rally Americans to take an active role in understanding what can be done to control high LDL-C (bad cholesterol).

Sanofi US and Regeneron are committed to enhancing the care of cardiovascular patients, and their collaboration is focused on helping to address the unmet needs of cardiovascular health.  With the assistance of patient and professional organizations, the companies hope to provide resources to patients to help them better understand and take control of their heart health, and Cholesterol Counts is an important part of their efforts.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs.  Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health and the new Genzyme.  Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi is the holding company of a consolidated group of subsidiaries and operates in the United States as Sanofi US.  For more information on Sanofi US, please visit http://www.sanofi.us or call 1-800-981-2491.

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions.  Regeneron commercializes medicines for eye diseases, colorectal cancer, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including hypercholesterolemia, oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.  For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com.

About Foundation of the National Lipid Association (FNLA)
The Foundation of the National Lipid Association supports and conducts educational programs, research programs, and vital community outreach programs for both patients and clinicians in effort to reduce cardiovascular events and deaths related to disorders of dyslipidemia and cholesterol metabolism.  The FNLA develops and publishes patient information and programs to help inform the public about the importance of a patient's risk for developing heart disease or stroke.  The Foundation of the NLA's website www.learnyourlipids.com is organized as a place for patients to understand the importance of knowing and managing your cholesterol levels including LDL cholesterol and other targets of therapy such as HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.  You can also follow us on Twitter @LearnYourLipids.

About Mended Hearts
Mended Hearts is a national, community-based, heart patient support network founded in 1951. With more than 20,000 members operating through 300 chapters, Mended Hearts is the largest cardiovascular patient support group in the world.  Recognized for its role in facilitating a positive patient-care experience, Mended Hearts partners with over 450 hospitals and cardiac rehabilitation clinics offering heart patient support through visiting programs, group meetings and educational forums.  Mended Hearts' mission is "Inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support."  For more information or to locate a chapter, visit www.mendedhearts.org, call 888- HEART-99 or email at [email protected].

About Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)
PCNA has established itself as the premier organization of nursing professionals dedicated to the prevention of cardiac and other vascular diseases throughout the lifespan.  PCNA's mission includes developing and promoting nurses as leaders in this field and supporting comprehensive risk reduction strategies for individuals and populations.  PCNA takes pride in supporting leadership, advocacy, lifelong learning and empowerment of the nursing community.  To learn more about PCNA and their continuing education, free nursing tools, Annual Symposium and more, visit PCNA.net or join them on facebook.com/heartnurses or twitter @heartnurses.

Sanofi Contacts:

Regeneron Contacts:

References
¹ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "What is Cholesterol?" September 2012. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/#. Accessed July 2014.
² American Heart Association. "Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol." April 2014. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Prevention-and-Treatment-of-High-Cholesterol_UCM_001215_Article.jsp. Accessed August 2014.
³ Go, AS, Mozaffarian, D, Roger, VL et al. "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics--2014 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association." Circulation. 2014;129:e28-e292. https://circ.ahajournals.org/content/129/3/e28.full.pdf+html. Accessed November 2014.

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SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.