Teva Respiratory to Host 'Phillies Asthma Awareness Night' Featuring Free Asthma and Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm Screenings

PHILADELPHIA, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- In the United States alone, over 22 million people, including more than six million children, are known to have asthma, which is a leading cause of hospital emergency department visits and school absenteeism. Experiencing respiratory symptoms isn't just for people who have asthma – some people get short of breath, wheeze or feel tightness in their chest when they exercise. These symptoms are part of a phenomenon known as exercise-induced bronchospasm, or EIB which is commonly experienced, but not well-known. One out of ten people has EIB, including 90% of asthmatics. However, the vast majority of people who have these symptoms (over 65%) are not diagnosed.

Asthma continues to be a chronic issue in the city of Philadelphia. Over the last 5 years, Philadelphia has consistently been ranked in the top 20 of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Asthma Capitals annual ranking of US cities, and most recently was ranked 8th. In an effort to raise public awareness of the risks faced everyday by those living with asthma, Teva Respiratory is partnering with the Philadelphia Phillies to host Asthma Awareness Night at Citizens Bank Park on World Asthma Day, Tuesday, May 4, 2010, as well as supporting National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month as a Platinum sponsor of the American Lung Association's (ALA) 7th Annual Philadelphia Asthma Walk on Saturday May 1, 2010.

• ALA Philadelphia Asthma Walk, Saturday, May 1: Teva Respiratory is a Platinum sponsor of the ALA Philadelphia Asthma Walk and will be participating with the Phillies Ballgirls in a three-mile walk throughout downtown Philadelphia. The walk begins at the historic Headhouse Square, 2nd and Lombard St., at 9:00 a.m. All proceeds from the event will support life saving education, research and advocacy efforts in the fight against asthma and other lung diseases. Participants who visit the Teva Respiratory information table will receive a Phillies red cap featuring the Liberty Bell logo and Philadelphia Phillies front embroidery, compliments of Teva Respiratory.
• Free Asthma Screenings, Tuesday, May 4: Teva Respiratory and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) will be offering free asthma screenings during the Phillies' Asthma Awareness Night, which is taking place during the 7:05 p.m. Phillies-St. Louis Cardinals game. The screenings will be set up at the first and third base entrances and are open to all fans until the 7th inning. Adults and children who have symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath or wheezing that occur during or immediately after exercise can find out if they are at risk for asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). In honor of the evening, all fans will receive a Phillies red cap featuring the Liberty Bell logo, compliments of Teva Respiratory.
• Teva Respiratory is also supporting the ACAAI Nationwide Asthma Screening Program, with ACAAI which provides free screenings for asthma in local communities. Allergists will also be paying special attention to those who have difficulty breathing during or immediately after exercise and may have exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). For a listing of free screening locations, please visit www.AsthmaAndAllergyRelief.org. For more information about Teva's ongoing commitment to asthma awareness and education, please visit www.TevaRespiratory.com and www.EIBLandmarkSurvey.com

About Asthma and Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (EIB)

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large and small airways with recurring episodes of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. When something sets off or triggers an asthma attack, like exercise, airways become inflamed and swollen, and the muscles around the airways tighten (bronchospasm). Symptoms of asthma include wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing that often occurs at night or early in the morning. Without appropriate treatment, asthma symptoms may become more severe and result in an asthma attack, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. If a person has exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), physical exertion may be the only thing that triggers asthma symptoms.

Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood. In the U.S., more than 22 million people are known to have asthma, including more than 6 million children. Each year in the U.S., asthma causes approximately 500,000 hospitalizations, 134 million days of restricted activity and 4,000 deaths. It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of all individuals who have allergic asthma will experience symptoms of EIB with vigorous exercise or activity. For teenagers and young adults, exercise is often the most common cause of asthma symptoms.

About Teva Respiratory

Teva Respiratory is the U.S.-based respiratory subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., headquartered in Israel, is among the top 15 pharmaceutical companies in the world and is the leading generic pharmaceutical company. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic and innovative pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Over 80 percent of Teva's sales are in North America and Western Europe.

About ACAAI

The ACAAI is a professional medical organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill., that promotes excellence in the practice of the subspecialty of allergy and immunology. The College, comprising more than 5,000 allergists-immunologists and related health care professionals, fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research.

To learn more about allergies and asthma and to find an allergist, visit www.AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org

Teva's Safe Harbor Statement under the U. S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This release contains forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of management. Such statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully develop and commercialize additional pharmaceutical products, the introduction of competing generic equivalents, the extent to which we may obtain U.S. market exclusivity for certain of our new generic products and regulatory changes that may prevent us from utilizing exclusivity periods, potential liability for sales of generic products prior to a final resolution of outstanding patent litigation, including that relating to the generic versions of Neurontin®, Lotrel® and Protonix®, the extent to which any manufacturing or quality control problems damage our reputation for high quality production, the effects of competition on sales of our innovative products, especially Copaxone® (including potential generic and oral competition for Copaxone®), the impact of continuing consolidation of our distributors and customers, our ability to identify, consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions, interruptions in our supply chain or problems with our information technology systems that adversely affect our complex manufacturing processes, intense competition in our specialty pharmaceutical businesses, any failures to comply with the complex Medicare and Medicaid reporting and payment obligations, our exposure to currency fluctuations and restrictions as well as credit risks, the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation, adverse effects of political or economical instability, major hostilities or acts of terrorism on our significant worldwide operations, increased government scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe of our agreements with brand companies, dependence on the effectiveness of our patents and other protections for innovative products, our ability to achieve expected results through our innovative R&D efforts, the difficulty of predicting U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authority approvals, uncertainties surrounding the legislative and regulatory pathway for the registration and approval of biotechnology-based products, potentially significant impairments of intangible assets and goodwill, potential increases in tax liabilities resulting from challenges to our intercompany arrangements, our potential exposure to product liability claims to the extent not covered by insurance, the termination or expiration of governmental programs or tax benefits, current economic conditions, any failure to retain key personnel or to attract additional executive and managerial talent, environmental risks and other factors that are discussed in this report and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

SOURCE Philadelphia Phillies