New survey finds women who suffer from migraines want a better understanding of migraine triggers

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety percent of women who suffer from migraines agree that with an increased understanding of the triggers, they can better manage their migraines, according to a survey¹ conducted by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin^® Migraine.

That is why today, the makers of Excedrin^® Migraine have joined with singer, actress and Broadway star, Jordin Sparks, and well-known Lenox Hill Hospital internist Keri Peterson, MD – both migraine sufferers – to launch, "Managing Migraines: Know Your Triggers. Know Your Treatment," a new education campaign. It's designed to raise awareness of the importance of tracking migraine triggers so sufferers can better manage their migraines.

While certain triggers may increase the risk of a migraine, triggers vary from person to person. According to the women surveyed, 83% said they would like better tools to help them track the triggers that lead to their migraines so that they can better manage attacks.  

To help migraine sufferers, Excedrin^® Migraine has developed a convenient, new tracking tool, My Migraine Triggers™ App, with a neurologist.  Available for free on iTunes, this app allows migraine sufferers to track the causes of their migraines and share them with their physician.  Migraine sufferers can chart out a daily log of information into customizable reports to easily understand which activities, foods and beverages are associated with the onset of their headaches

"As they say in my business ... the show must go on.  As someone who suffers from migraines, it is important for me to understand my migraine triggers so I can stop my migraines before they stop me," says Sparks. "That's why I'm thrilled to be teaming up with the makers of Excedrin^® Migraine to launch this education campaign and help migraine sufferers become better informed about their triggers and symptoms."

"I encourage all my patients who suffer from migraines to download the My Migraine Triggers™ app," says Lenox Hill Hospital internist and migraine sufferer Keri Peterson, MD. "I was shocked to learn that less than half (45%) of female migraine sufferers surveyed regularly share migraine trigger information with their physician.  The new My Migraine Triggers™ app has a great feature which enables my patients to send me data about their migraines before they even walk into my office, allowing me to create a better treatment plan."

For more tips on managing migraines visit www.excedrin.com/migraine or find us on www.facebook.com/excedrin or follow Excedrin^® on Twitter @excedrin.  As with all medications, use Excedrin^® Migraine as directed on the package label.

About Excedrin^® Migraine
The first non-prescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat all the symptoms of a migraine including, pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound. Excedrin^® Migraine is the #1 Neurologist recommended over-the-counter brand for migraine relief.

About the Survey
This research was conducted between September 7 and September 13, 2012 via an online survey of 1,000 women in the U.S.  To qualify for this survey, respondents had to indicate that they experience migraine headaches at least four to six times per year and have a smartphone or tablet device.

KRC Research is a full service market research firm.  The organization offers global quantitative and qualitative market research solutions that use proven methodologies, proper sampling techniques, and pull from over 30 years of experience interpreting consumer feedback. 

Disclaimer
The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements including express or implied discussions regarding potential future sales of Excedrin Migraine. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Excedrin Migraine will achieve any particular sales levels in the future. In particular, management's expectations could be affected by, among other things, unexpected manufacturing issues; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; competition in general; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Novartis Group's assets and liabilities as recorded in the Group's consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. (NCH) is a world leader in the research, development, production and marketing of self-medication products that do not require a prescription. NCH products are designed for the in-home treatment and prevention of medical conditions and ailments as well as the enhancement of overall health and well-being.

Located in Parsippany, New Jersey, Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. is an affiliate of Novartis AG. Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2011, the Group's continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 58.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.6 billion (USD 9.2 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 127,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis.

References
1.  This research was conducted between September 7 and September 13, 2012 via an online survey of 1,000 women in the U.S. To qualify for this survey, respondents had to indicate that they experience migraine headaches at least 4 to 6 times per year and have a smartphone or tablet device.

SOURCE Novartis Consumer Health, Inc.