Month: June 2021

2021-06-11T16:31:01

(BPT) – Every day, there are small things you can do to keep your mind and body healthy as you approach work, no matter where you work.

Innovative wellness techniques and resources were compiled by health specialists in collaboration with Amazon employees to create WorkingWell, a comprehensive program that addresses how employees can improve their health and well-being through exercises such as stretching, mindful meditation, nutrition practices, regular healthcare visits and better access to healthcare.

“At Amazon, the health and safety of our employees is our number one priority — and has been since day one. Improving the safety, health and well-being of employees means investing in people through state-of-the-art safety training and education, health and well-being programs, and comprehensive benefits,” said Bobby Woodruff, Amazon safety team member in Eastvale, California. “We are committed to supporting our employees and keeping them healthy and safe every day.”

The health leaders and employees behind WorkingWell share their tips for improving physical and mental wellness at work.

1. Use mindfulness techniques to relax

Doing a few simple exercises each day, even while sitting at your desk, can help you feel more relaxed.

• Tense and relax each muscle group in your body, head to toe. Inhale as your muscles tense, exhale as you relax.
• Notice how the muscles feel when they are tensed and when they are relaxed.
• When finished, gradually bring your attention back to the present.

2. Be proactive through mobility exercises

Stretching techniques can help employees in a variety of roles. Here are some tips and tricks:

• Stretch your legs if you know you’ll be standing for extended periods.
• Maintain a natural, ergonomically correct position with your palms up and hands in a c-shape when doing things like opening drawers, grabbing plates or handing a receipt to a customer.
• Sit with your shoulders back, and try drawing your belly button in toward your spine to make sure your core is supporting your posture properly.
• Stretch your back and shoulders by looking down at your left pocket, then placing your left hand on the back of your head and adding pressure until you feel a gentle stretch along the right side.

“During my work day, I try to find ways to check in with how my body is feeling at regular intervals,” said Caley Niday, safety team member at the Amazon Fort Wayne, Indiana, delivery station. “Periodic stretching and readjusting my posture helps me feel better both while I’m at work and when I get back home.”

3. Prioritize self-care

Each day, try to do one nice thing for yourself and others as a way to slow down, such as:

• Getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
• Staying hydrated so your muscles work well, and so your body has energy and can replenish itself.
• Do something nice for a coworker, like sharing a compliment about their work.

“Taking care of yourself both physically and mentally can become part of your daily routine,” said Nicholas Thomas, an Amazon safety team member at the Troutdale, Oregon, fulfillment center. “I find that trying one or two steps first encourages adding more positive habits over time.”

4. Observe your movements at work

Pay close attention to how your body moves while working. For example, if you need to pick things up continually, pay attention to how your body is bending.

• Engage your core to help take stress off your back.
• Use heat to loosen the muscles around any tight areas and help the tissue relax, but only for durations of 30 minutes or less so you don’t overheat the tissue.

“I listen to the signs my body is giving me during activity,” said Megan Romero, Amazon safety team member at a Dallas, Texas, fulfillment center. “Proper body positioning and biomechanics can help decrease the risk of strain.”

5. Don’t do it alone

Building relationships at work strengthens your support system.

• Try talking to a colleague or opening up with your manager about challenges you may be facing.
• Sometimes just talking can help, and your peers may be able to offer advice from their own experiences.
• If you need help, reach out. Ask your company’s HR team about what employee assistance programs they have in place.
• Many of these programs include mental health resources and other sources of support.

“When I added simple steps to boost my well-being during my daily routine it made a world of difference,” said Maria Aparicio, a safety team member at an Amazon site in Spokane, Washington. “To me, wellness at work means you’ll be living a healthier, happier life overall.”

2021-06-10T08:01:00

(BPT) – Sponsored by Takeda Oncology

Each year in the U.S., nearly a quarter million new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed ^1-2, and each of these diagnoses represent a person and family whose lives are turned upside down. Barbara is one of these people, and this is her story of hope.

Following their marriage in 1970, Barbara and her husband lived a happy life, traveling the world, raising two children and becoming grandparents to three wonderful girls. Barbara cherished time with her granddaughters but never imagined it would lead to a realization that may have saved her life.

Several years back, Barbara developed a cold after visiting with her granddaughter who had been sick at the time. But while Barbara’s granddaughter got better, Barbara’s cough became worse. Following an initial diagnosis of bronchitis from her doctor, the cough persisted.

A friend urged her to get an X-ray to ensure it wasn’t pneumonia. The radiologist evaluated her scans, and after several reviews, saw something in her lung that shouldn’t be there — a small shadow. That shadow indicated something more serious than pneumonia. A tumor.

The news was shocking — how could what she thought was a simple cold be a tumor? One day, she was healthy, and now she was questioning whether she had cancer. Whether it was benign or malignant, Barbara’s physician advised the tumor had to come out.

Barbara went in for surgery and hoped that would be the end of it. Soon after, she received the news she was dreading — lung cancer. It felt impossible. Barbara was a non-smoker, as was her husband — but up to 20% of lung cancer patients have never smoked.³

Barbara was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of lung cancer, representing approximately 85% of all cases in the U.S.¹ Lung cancer symptoms are hard to detect and often don’t present until the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.^4-6 The most common sites of metastasis are the liver, bone and brain.⁷ Had she not gotten sick when she did, she may have not presented cancer symptoms until it was too late.

After four rounds of chemotherapy, Barbara relied heavily on her husband, who had taken on the role as her caretaker throughout her treatment. She was exhausted from the chemotherapy and needed her husband for everyday tasks like driving to work. He was her “rock.” Under his care, she focused on getting back to her normal life — trying her best to forget what she had just been through.

But as life does, it handed Barbara another challenge when she went in for a regular check-in. The cancer was growing, and she was told she would need additional treatment.

The treatment plan following her relapse included chemotherapy and radiation to be followed by immunotherapy.

Before Barbara began immunotherapy, her doctors conducted diagnostic testing to determine her specific type of lung cancer and give her the most effective treatment plan. They learned she had anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) NSCLC — a unique type of lung cancer often found in non-smokers. ALK+ NSCLC is caused by a gene alteration that produces a protein that tells cancer cells to grow and spread.⁸

Barbara learned immunotherapy was not appropriate for her type of lung cancer. But there was another option.

“My doctor said, ‘I’ve got some good news for you.’ He explained what ALK+ NSCLC was and that immunotherapy is not recommended for this type of cancer — I was so happy.” Barbara’s treatment came in the form of a targeted oral therapy called ALUNBRIG^® (brigatinib). ALUNBRIG is approved to treat adult patients with ALK+ metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC).

The presence of her cancer has been life-altering, but Barbara is living a relatively normal life today. While she has experienced some gastrointestinal side effects from taking ALUNBRIG, Barbara is doing well and appreciates that her treatment is manageable, at one pill a day. “There’s an ease of knowing there’s a medication out there that’s targeted to this cancer.” Every three months, she goes in for a PET scan, and the results so far have been encouraging, with no signs that the cancer has spread further.

When asked what advice she would give to other patients, Barbara acknowledges that she is just one of thousands who have stories of persevering after a lung cancer diagnosis. Sticking to her character and resolve, she encourages others “to not dwell on the diagnosis — stay positive and ask for help.”

Barbara is thankful she has found a way to manage her cancer, which helps her maintain hope and live a relatively normal lifestyle. You can learn more about ALK+ mNSCLC and ALUNBRIG as a potential treatment option by visiting ALUNBRIG.com.

Not every patient will have the same experience, and all treatment decisions should be discussed with a doctor.

___________________________

Indication and Important Safety Information for ALUNBRIG™ (brigatinib)

Uses of ALUNBRIG

ALUNBRIG is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that have a certain abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene that has spread to other parts of their body.

It is not known if ALUNBRIG is safe and effective in children.

ALUNBRIG can cause serious side effects, including:

• Lung problems. ALUNBRIG may cause severe or life-threatening swelling (inflammation) of the lungs any time during treatment, and can lead to death. These lung problems happen especially within the first week of treatment with ALUNBRIG. Symptoms may be similar to those symptoms from lung cancer. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new or worsening symptoms of trouble breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, cough (with or without mucus) or fever.
• High blood pressure (hypertension). ALUNBRIG may cause high blood pressure. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure before starting and during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Slow heart rate (bradycardia). ALUNBRIG may cause very slow heartbeats that can be severe. Your healthcare provider will check your heart rate during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or faint during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider if you start to take or have any changes in heart rate or blood pressure medicines.
• Vision problems. ALUNBRIG may cause vision problems. Your healthcare provider may stop ALUNBRIG and refer you to an eye specialist if you develop severe vision problems during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any loss of vision or any change in vision, including double vision, seeing flashes of light, blurry vision, light hurting your eyes, or new or increased floaters.
• Muscle pain, tenderness, and weakness (myalgia). ALUNBRIG may increase the level of an enzyme in your blood called creatine phosphokinase (CPK), which may be a sign of muscle damage. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your blood levels of CPK during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get new or worsening signs and symptoms of muscle problems, including unexplained muscle pain or muscle pain that does not go away, tenderness, or weakness.
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). ALUNBRIG may increase enzymes in your blood called amylase and lipase, which may be a sign of pancreatitis. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your pancreatic enzyme blood levels during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get new or worsening signs and symptoms of pancreatitis, including upper abdominal pain that may spread to the back and get worse with eating, weight loss, or nausea.
• High blood sugar (hyperglycemia). ALUNBRIG may increase your blood sugar levels. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your blood sugar levels before starting and during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Your healthcare provider may need to start or change your blood sugar medicine to control your blood sugar levels. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get new or worsening signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia, including needing to urinate more than usual, or feeling very thirsty, very hungry, sick to your stomach, weak, tired or confused:

The most common side effects of ALUNBRIG include diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, rash, cough, muscle pain, headache, high blood pressure, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

ALUNBRIG may cause fertility problems in males. This may affect your ability to father a child. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about fertility.

These are not all of the possible side effects of ALUNBRIG.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before you take ALUNBRIG, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have lung or breathing problems, high blood pressure, a slow heartbeat, or any vision problems, have or have had pancreatitis, have diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance, have liver problems, have kidney problems or are on dialysis, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

ALUNBRIG can harm your unborn baby. Your healthcare provider will determine whether or not you are pregnant before you start treatment with ALUNBRIG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with ALUNBRIG or think you may be pregnant.

• Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective non-hormonal birth control during treatment with ALUNBRIG and for at least 4 months after the final dose of ALUNBRIG. Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) and other hormonal forms of birth control may not be effective if used during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Talk to your healthcare provider about birth control choices that are right for you during treatment with ALUNBRIG.
• Males who have female partners that are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment with ALUNBRIG and for at least 3 months after the final dose of ALUNBRIG.

It is not known if ALUNBRIG passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with ALUNBRIG and for 1 week after the final dose of ALUNBRIG.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice during treatment with ALUNBRIG. Grapefruit may increase the amount of ALUNBRIG in your blood.

Please see the full U.S. Prescribing Information for ALUNBRIG at www.ALUNBRIG.com

___________________________

References:

¹American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed March 2021.

² National Cancer Institute. Cancer Stat Facts: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html. Accessed March 2021.

³ American Cancer Society. Lung Cancer Risks for Non-smokers. https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/why-lung-cancer-strikes-nonsmokers.html. Accessed March 2021.

⁴ Kris MG, Johnson BE, Berry LD, et al. Using multiplexed assays of oncogenic drivers in lung cancers to select targeted drugs. JAMA. 2014; 311:1998-2006.

⁵ Aggarwal A, et al. The State of Lung Cancer Research: A Global Analysis. J Thorac Oncol. 2016; 11(7): 1040-1050

⁶ American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society’s guidelines for lung cancer screening. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html. Accessed March 2021.

⁷ Bates JE, Milano MT. Prognostic significance of sites of extrathoracic metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(7):1903-1910.

⁸ Shaw AT, Solomon B. Targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase in lung cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2011;17(8):2081-2086.

2021-06-10T11:01:00

(BPT) – Peanut allergy is the most common food allergy in children in the U.S. and affects approximately 1.3 million children between the ages of 4 through 17.¹

If your child has a peanut allergy, you know firsthand the burden it can have on your family. It can be a life-long condition, and reactions to peanut can range from mild to potentially life-threatening.

Exposure to even a small amount of allergen can prompt an allergic reaction²; approximately one in five children with physician-diagnosed peanut allergy had at least one peanut-allergy related emergency department visit in a single year within the U.S.³

Practicing a strict peanut-free diet alone may not be enough. No matter how careful you are as a parent, a family, or a community, accidental exposure can still happen anytime, anywhere, and the constant vigilance can be exhausting. As a result, peanut allergy is associated with a burden that impacts patients and their families daily, as they struggle to avoid accidental exposure and a potentially life-threatening reaction.⁴ Until last year, there was no FDA-approved treatment option available for peanut allergy.

In January 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PALFORZIA^® [Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp]. PALFORZIA can help your child gradually decrease their sensitivity to peanuts over time through a process called oral immunotherapy, or OIT.

WHAT IS PALFORZIA?

PALFORZIA is a treatment for people who are allergic to peanuts. PALFORZIA can help reduce the severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanut. PALFORZIA may be started in patients aged 4 through 17 years old. If you turn 18 years of age while on PALFORZIA treatment you should continue taking PALFORZIA unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

PALFORZIA does NOT treat allergic reactions and should not be given during an allergic reaction.

You must maintain a strict peanut-free diet while taking PALFORZIA.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

PALFORZIA can cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis that may be life-threatening.

• You will receive your first dose in a healthcare setting under the observation of trained healthcare staff.
• You will receive the first dose of all dose increases in a healthcare setting.
• In the healthcare setting, you will be observed for at least 1 hour for signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
• If you have a severe reaction during treatment, you will need to receive an injection of epinephrine immediately and get emergency medical help right away.
• You will return to the healthcare setting for any trouble tolerating your home doses.

Stop taking PALFORZIA and get emergency medical treatment right away if you have any of the following symptoms after taking PALFORZIA:

• Trouble breathing or wheezing
• Chest discomfort or tightness
• Throat tightness
• Trouble swallowing or speaking
• Swelling of your face, lips, eyes, or tongue
• Dizziness or fainting
• Severe stomach cramps or pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Hives (itchy, raised bumps on skin)
• Severe flushing of the skin

Because of the risk of severe allergic reactions, PALFORZIA is only available through a restricted program called the PALFORZIA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information about the PALFORZIA REMS program and how to enroll.

You should NOT take PALFORZIA if you have uncontrolled asthma, or if you ever had eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) or other eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease.

Tell your doctor if you are not feeling well prior to starting treatment with PALFORZIA. Your doctor may decide to delay treatment until you are feeling better. Also tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have and if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal supplements.

Your doctor may decide that PALFORZIA is not the best treatment if:

You are unwilling or unable to receive (or self-administer) injectable epinephrine.

You have a condition or are taking a medication that reduces the ability to survive a severe allergic reaction.

What are the possible side effects of PALFORZIA?

The most commonly reported side effects of PALFORZIA were: stomach pain, vomiting, feeling sick, itching or burning in the mouth, throat irritation, cough, runny nose, sneezing, throat tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, itchy skin, hives, and/or itchy ears.

PALFORZIA can cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis that may be life-threatening.

PALFORZIA can cause stomach or gut symptoms including inflammation of the esophagus (called eosinophilic esophagitis). Symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis can include:

• Trouble swallowing
• Food stuck in throat
• Burning in chest, mouth, or throat
• Vomiting
• Regurgitation of undigested food
• Feeling sick

For additional information on the possible side effects of PALFORZIA, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide, including an Important Warning about anaphylaxis.

¹ Mahr et al. Characteristics of Peanut Allergy Diagnosis in a US Health Care Claims Database (2011-2017). J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021 Apr;9(4):1683-1694.

² Deschildre A, Elegbédé CF, Just J, Bruyère O, et al. Peanut-allergic patients in the MIRABEL survey: characteristics, allergists’ dietary advice and lessons from real life. Clin Exp Allergy. 2016;46(4):610-620.

³ Gupta R, Warren C, Smith B, et al. The public health impact of parent-reported childhood food allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018;142:e20181235.

⁴ DunnGalvin A, Blumchen K, Timmermans F, et al. APPEAL-1: A multiple-country European survey assessing the psychosocial impact of peanut allergy. Allergy. 2020;75(11):2899-2908.

2021-06-09T09:01:00

(BPT) – Migraine is a disabling neurological disease often associated with women. Many may not realize it, but men get migraine too. In fact, NASCAR driver Cody Ware is one of the nearly 40 million people living with migraine.

Cody has suffered from migraine since he was 18 years old. With the pain comes visual aura, nausea and vomiting. When a migraine strikes, he has to go into a dark room to sleep, which means he has to forfeit his plans for the day, no matter the importance.

“I remember being in the race shop one day with the crew and I had to leave because of a migraine,” says Cody. “I was unable to focus because of it and I always feel that I am at the whim of a migraine.” As migraine disproportionately affects women, men battling this disease are often overlooked.

Stress and Migraine

According to the American Migraine Foundation, stress triggers an attack in about 70 percent of people living with migraine. As Cody is a NASCAR driver for the Rick Ware Racing team, he finds it very difficult to avoid stress as he is racing around the track at speeds over 200 mph.

“I’m always worried that a migraine will strike the day of a race,” says Cody. “If one came on, it would greatly impact me and my team. I wouldn’t be able to function with the pain.”

Racing without Fear

Management of migraine is different for everyone. Cody realized that he needed a new treatment plan and talked to his doctor about Nurtec^® ODT (rimegepant), an orally dissolving tablet taken at the onset of a migraine.

“Nurtec ODT relieves my migraine symptoms fast and can last up to 48 hours,” Cody says. “It’s convenient to take as I don’t need water and I can keep it with me at all times. Knowing that I have Nurtec ODT helps to reduce the anxiety of when my next migraine will hit.”

As June is Men’s Health month, Cody encourages men who are living with migraine to talk with their doctor to see if Nurtec ODT will work for them. “I know how bad migraine is and I want others to know there are treatments available to help with the pain and symptoms. It is important for men to take care of their health and not push through the pain because this is what is expected of us.”

For more information about Cody’s migraine story, visit nurtec.com.

Indication
NURTEC ODT orally disintegrating tablets is a prescription medicine that is used to treat migraine in adults. It is for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. It is not known if NURTEC ODT is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information
Do not take NURTEC ODT if you are allergic to NURTEC ODT (rimegepant) or any of its ingredients.

Before you take NURTEC ODT, tell your healthcare provider (HCP) about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• have liver problems,
• have kidney problems,
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant,
• breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

NURTEC ODT may cause serious side effects including allergic reactions, including trouble breathing and rash. This can happen days after you take NURTEC ODT. Call your HCP or get emergency help right away if you have swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat or trouble breathing. This occurred in less than 1% of patients treated with NURTEC ODT.

The most common side effects of NURTEC ODT were nausea (2.7%) and stomach pain/indigestion (2.4%). These are not the only possible side effects of NURTEC ODT. Tell your HCP if you have any side effects.

You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088 or report side effects to Biohaven at 1-833-4NURTEC.

Please click here for full Prescribing Information and Patient Information.