Novartis Teams Up With Celebrity Interior Designer Nate Berkus To Launch My Home In Sight, A Program Empowering People With Wet AMD To Live More Independently At Home

EAST HANOVER, N.J., July 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis is teaming up with celebrity interior designer Nate Berkus to launch My Home in Sight, a program that aims to raise awareness of the daily impact of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and empower those living with wet AMD and their caregivers to make simple, functional changes to support safety and independence at home. Berkus' late grandmother suffered from changing vision due to macular degeneration, so he understands the impact of vision loss and the need for resources and tools for those living with this eye disease.

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AMD is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and a rapidly growing public health concern for people over the age of 65, with the majority of blindness in these cases due to wet AMD – the most severe form of the condition.^1,2,3 As the disease progresses, people with wet AMD may experience loss of central vision, resulting in an inability to read, drive or navigate one's own home, which may lead to a loss of independence.^4,5  

"People with wet AMD often feel overwhelmed by the changes in their vision and fear the loss of their independence," said Patrick Mooney, US Head, Ophthalmology Franchise and Vice President, Novartis. "We're proud to partner with leading patient advocacy groups and a design industry expert to help support the needs of those living with, or caring for someone with, wet AMD – a disease that an estimated 1.75 million people are living with in the US."

"My job as an interior designer has always been to help people live well in their homes, whether it's a client, a home makeover on television or my own grandmother, who was affected by changing vision from macular degeneration. The My Home in Sight program is an invaluable resource as it empowers people through five key principles and their design choices to continue to live safely and independently in their homes," said Berkus.

My Home in Sight offers a comprehensive guide with room-by-room design ideas that can be used by patients with wet AMD and their caregivers to help create a safe and functional home environment. People who register at MyHomeInSightKit.com will receive a free My Home in Sight kit and design tips from Berkus on how to implement the program's five key principles on living with wet AMD.

About My Home in Sight
My Home in Sight is a Novartis program developed to raise awareness of the daily impact of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to empower people living with wet AMD and their caregivers to make simple and functional home improvement and design changes to support safety and independence at their home. My Home in Sight provides five key principles for adapting spaces in the home for life with wet AMD. Novartis developed My Home in Sight in partnership with six leading patient advocacy groups: BrightFocus Foundation, Lighthouse Guild, Macular Degeneration Association, Macula Vision, MD Support, and Prevent Blindness. People who register at MyHomeInSightKit.com will receive a free My Home in Sight kit including a companion audio guide and emails with design tips from Nate Berkus.

About wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and a rapidly growing public health concern for people over the age of 65, with the majority of blindness in these cases due to wet AMD.^1,2,3 It is estimated that as many as 1.5-1.75 million people in the U.S. will be living with wet AMD next year.¹ There are two types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): dry AMD and wet AMD.³ Wet AMD is the type most severe and associated with rapidly worsening vision loss.³ In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels begin to form underneath the macula, the area of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision.^6,7

Wet AMD is a chronic and degenerative disease, meaning it gets worse over time.³ There is no cure for wet AMD.^5,7 As the disease progresses, vision can rapidly deteriorate and may lead to blindness.^2,3 Wet AMD may deprive people of their ability to perform basic activities and translate into the loss of their independence.^1,5

About Novartis in ophthalmology
Novartis is reimagining the treatment and prevention of visual impairment and blindness. By working to push the boundaries of medicine and technology, we aim to develop life-changing gene therapies, next-generation pharmaceuticals, and transformative technologies for diseases and conditions spanning every area of eye disease, including front and back of the eye.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a U.S. affiliate of Novartis, is located in East Hanover, NJ. Find out more at www.novartis.com. 

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References

1. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Age-related macular degeneration preferred practice patterns. Available at: https://www.aao.org/preferred-practice-pattern/age-related-macular-degeneration-ppp-2015. Accessed March 2019.
2. van Lookeren Campagne M, et al. Mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration and therapeutic opportunities. J Pathol. 2014; 232(2):151-64. doi: 10.1002/path.4266.
3. Gottlieb JL. Age-related macular degeneration. JAMA. 2002;288:2233-6.
4. NHS Choices. Macular Degeneration - Symptoms. Available at http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Macular-degeneration/Pages/Symptoms.aspx (link is external). Accessed January 2019.
5. Mitchell J, Bradley C. Quality of life in age-related macular degeneration: a review of the literature. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2006;4:97.
6. World Health Organization. Priority eye diseases: Age-related macular degeneration. Available at http://www.who.int/blindness/causes/priority/en/index7.html (link is external). Accessed January 2019.
7. NHS Choices. Macular Degeneration. Available at http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Macular-degeneration/Pages/Introduction.aspx (link is external). Accessed January 2019.

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