Overactive Bladder Causes Significant Burden, Regardless of Age Amongst Adults

DUBLIN and CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN), in partnership with the National Association For Continence (NAFC), today announced the results of a new survey that revealed the impact of overactive bladder (OAB) and related symptoms on those living with the condition, as well as the extremes to which people will go to cope with or hide their symptoms. While commonly believed to be a result of weakened pelvic muscles following childbirth or just part of the aging process, the survey found that more than a quarter of the 100 respondents were diagnosed at the age of 34 or younger, and nine percent were diagnosed before 24 years of age.

"People can start experiencing symptoms of OAB at an early age, learning to settle for a lifetime of silently struggling with an uncomfortable condition," says Steven Gregg, PhD, Executive Director of the NAFC. "Many who suffer live in constant fear of their next accident, and feel the need to plan activities around access to a bathroom to hide symptoms from friends, family or colleagues."

The survey found that 86 percent of respondents experience OAB symptoms multiple times a day. Yet, despite reported frequency and impact of symptoms, 40 percent of the respondents have either discontinued treatment or never been treated for OAB. That may be due in large part to the fact that nearly half of all survey respondents would feel more comfortable discussing their OAB symptoms if his or her doctor brought it up first.

"November is Bladder Health Awareness Month, and we want to help people living with OAB realize that talking to their doctor is important in helping to get a diagnosis and learn about treatment options," says Mitchell Brin, SVP of drug development, Allergan. "No single treatment is right for everyone. For people living with OAB who are cycling from one treatment to the next, there are several new treatment options that may not have been discussed."

Other key findings from the survey of 100 people living with symptoms or who have been diagnosed with OAB include:

• 66 percent say that OAB symptoms – the sudden urge to urinate, incontinence or leaking, frequent urination, and waking up at night to urinate – are a daily disruption.
• Of the 86 percent who experience symptoms multiple times a day, 32 percent report symptoms 6-8 times per day and 12 percent experience symptoms at least every hour.
• OAB also affects emotional health. Survey respondents report feeling moderately-to-extremely frustrated (85 percent), and embarrassed (81 percent) because of living with OAB.

Seek an accurate diagnosis, and find out about treatment options that can be used to treat OAB. To learn more about OAB and the available treatment options, visit www.dontsettle.com.

About the Survey

The survey, titled "Living with Overactive Bladder," was conducted by Allergan and the NAFC to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by individuals who experience OAB and the impact it has on daily life and, ultimately, to raise awareness of the prevalence of the condition. The survey was open from September 26 – October 23, 2017. It included 100 respondents, recruited via the NAFC website (https://www.nafc.org/). All responses were anonymous.

About the National Association for Continence (NAFC)

The National Association for Continence is a national, private, non-profit 501(C) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with incontinence, voiding dysfunction, and related pelvic floor disorders. NAFC's purpose is to be the leading source for public education and advocacy about the causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatments, and management alternatives for incontinence.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model – Growth Pharma. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry with 65+ mid-to-late stage pipeline programs currently in development.

Allergan's success is powered by our more than 18,000 global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

¹ Overactive bladder (OAB). Urology Care Foundation website. www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=112. Accessed October 27, 2017.

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