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Celebrity Trainer and Author Bob Harper Teams up with AstraZeneca to Connect with Fellow Heart Attack Survivors

AZN | November 30, 2017

Celebrity Trainer and Author Bob Harper Teams up with AstraZeneca to Connect with Fellow Heart Attack Survivors

Survivors Have Heart Essay Contest calls on heart attack survivors to submit their stories for the opportunity to educate and inspire other survivors at an event hosted by Bob Harper

Bob Harper, celebrity personal trainer, author and heart attack survivor, is teaming up with AstraZeneca to help people like him who have experienced a heart attack share their stories to educate and inspire others. Today, AstraZeneca is partnering with the nationally recognized fitness expert and TV personality to launch Survivors Have Heart, an essay contest where heart attack survivors can share personal stories of their journey and connect with other survivors, including Bob Harper.

Bob Harper and AstraZeneca are asking those who have had a heart attack to visit www.survivorshaveheart.com and submit an essay of 500 words or less about their experience and recovery. Five stories from heart attack survivors will be chosen and those selected, along with a caregiver of their choice, will travel to New York City to be inducted into a heart attack survivor’s network. There they will have the opportunity to join Bob Harper in celebrating survivorship and helping those who may be at risk of another heart attack to understand the warning signs and take the necessary steps toward living a healthier life.

Bob Harper said: “This partnership with AstraZeneca is very personal to me as a heart attack survivor. My life’s mission has been rooted in living a healthy lifestyle, and I thought I was doing everything right. I never thought I would experience a heart attack. Being a heart attack survivor adds you to a club you never want to join, but once you are a part of it, you feel bonded by the experience. As survivors, we carry each other and together, with the support of networks like Survivors Have Heart, we can make a meaningful difference in raising awareness on how to navigate this complex journey.”

Harper suffered a severe heart attack in February 2017 that forever changed his life. With a commitment to his recovery, Harper has since focused on getting his life, health and fitness back on track. In addition to making lifestyle changes and following his doctor’s treatment plan, Harper was prescribed BRILINTA^® (ticagrelor) 90 mg tablets, made by AstraZeneca, to help reduce the risk of having another heart attack or dying from one. BRILINTA is indicated to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI, also known as a heart attack), and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Rod Wooten, Vice President, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (CVMD), AstraZeneca, said: “Stories like Bob’s sit at the foundation of AstraZeneca’s commitment to addressing patient needs to help make a meaningful difference through health, education and support. This partnership embodies our belief that we must continue to play an active role in raising awareness and educating patients on important steps they can take to reduce their risk following another heart attack.”

This year, an estimated 790,000 Americans will experience a heart attack. The partnership with AstraZeneca will allow Bob Harper to share his story and provide tips and basic steps patients can take to help maintain a healthy life, while also following their treatment plan to help reduce their risk of having another heart attack.

Donnette Smith, President of community-based nonprofit, Mended Hearts Inc, said: “Mended Hearts is an organization with a strong focus on providing peer-to-peer support for patients across the cardiovascular treatment landscape and we want to recognize the important work that AstraZeneca and Bob Harper are doing in hopes that it will empower more patients to speak up and build their support network following their heart attack. It is critical for patients to ensure they take an active role in their recovery and feel pride in the steps they are taking as heart attack survivors.”

The Survivors Have Heart Essay Contest will run from November 30, 2017 – January 15, 2018. For complete details and to enter please visit: www.survivorshaveheart.com.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR BRILINTA ^® (ticagrelor) 60-MG AND 90-MG TABLETS

WARNING: (A) BLEEDING RISK, (B) ASPIRIN DOSE AND BRILINTA EFFECTIVENESS

A. BLEEDING RISK

BRILINTA, like other antiplatelet agents, can cause significant, sometimes fatal bleeding
Do not use BRILINTA in patients with active pathological bleeding or a history of intracranial hemorrhage
Do not start BRILINTA in patients undergoing urgent coronary artery bypass graft surgery
If possible, manage bleeding without discontinuing BRILINTA. Stopping BRILINTA increases the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events

B. ASPIRIN DOSE AND BRILINTA EFFECTIVENESS

Maintenance doses of aspirin above 100 mg reduce the effectiveness of BRILINTA and should be avoided

CONTRAINDICATIONS

BRILINTA is contraindicated in patients with a history of intracranial hemorrhage or active pathological bleeding such as peptic ulcer or intracranial hemorrhage. BRILINTA is also contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity (eg, angioedema) to ticagrelor or any component of the product

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Dyspnea was reported in about 14% of patients treated with BRILINTA, more frequently than in patients treated with control agents. Dyspnea resulting from BRILINTA is often self-limiting
Discontinuation of BRILINTA will increase the risk of MI, stroke, and death. When possible, interrupt therapy with BRILINTA for 5 days prior to surgery that has a major risk of bleeding. If BRILINTA must be temporarily discontinued, restart as soon as possible
Ticagrelor can cause ventricular pauses. Bradyarrhythmias including AV block have been reported in the post-marketing setting. PLATO and PEGASUS excluded patients at increased risk of bradyarrhythmias not protected by a pacemaker, and they may be at increased risk of developing bradyarrhythmias with ticagrelor
Avoid use of BRILINTA in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Severe hepatic impairment is likely to increase serum concentration of ticagrelor and there are no studies of BRILINTA in these patients

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions associated with the use of BRILINTA included bleeding and dyspnea: In PLATO, for BRILINTA vs clopidogrel, non-CABG PLATO-defined major bleeding (3.9% vs 3.3%) and dyspnea (14% vs 8%); in PEGASUS, BRILINTA vs aspirin alone, TIMI Total Major bleeding (1.7% vs 0.8%) and dyspnea (14% vs 6%)

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Avoid use with strong CYP3A inhibitors and strong CYP3A inducers. BRILINTA is metabolized by CYP3A4/5. Strong inhibitors substantially increase ticagrelor exposure and so increase the risk of adverse events. Strong inducers substantially reduce ticagrelor exposure and so decrease the efficacy of ticagrelor
Patients receiving more than 40 mg per day of simvastatin or lovastatin may be at increased risk of statin-related adverse events
Monitor digoxin levels with initiation of, or change in, BRILINTA therapy

INDICATIONS

BRILINTA^® (ticagrelor) tablets are indicated to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or a history of myocardial infarction. For at least the first 12 months following ACS, it is superior to clopidogrel.

BRILINTA also reduces the rate of stent thrombosis in patients who have been stented for treatment of ACS.

DOSING

In the management of ACS, initiate BRILINTA treatment with a 180-mg loading dose. Administer 90 mg twice daily during the first year after an ACS event. After one year administer 60 mg twice daily. Use BRILINTA with a daily maintenance dose of aspirin of 75-100 mg.

Please read Medication Guide and Prescribing Information , including Boxed WARNINGS, for BRILINTA.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About AstraZeneca in Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolic Diseases (CVMD)

Cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases together form one of AstraZeneca’s main therapy areas and platforms for future growth. By following the science to understand more clearly the underlying links between the heart, kidney and pancreas, AstraZeneca is investing in a portfolio of medicines to protect organs and improve outcomes by slowing disease progression, reducing risks and tackling co-morbidities. Our ambition is to modify or halt the natural course of CVMDs and even regenerate organs and restore function, by continuing to deliver transformative science that improves treatment practices and CVMD health for millions of patients worldwide.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three main therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases and Respiratory. The Company also is selectively active in the areas of Autoimmunity, Neuroscience and Infection. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZenecaUS.

US-16246 Last Updated 11/17