Novartis study reveals that migraine support in the workspace can significantly decrease the impact of the disease on affected employees

• The patients that completed the Migraine Care pilot program reported over 50% reduction in migraine disability and a significant improvement in their patient activation measure after six months
   
• Participants received six monthly sessions of individualized telecoaching comprised of educational modules and action plans from a specialized nurse by phone and through a specially developed module on the Migraine Buddy smartphone application
   
• The program was provided as a complimentary service to all Swiss-based Novartis associates and their family members to empower them in the management of the disease and improve their quality of life

Basel, May 26, 2020 — Novartis announces data from its Migraine Care pilot program which was created in collaboration with patient groups and leading experts in neurology, telemedicine and digital medicine, to provide a complementary, independent, third-party service for all Swiss-based Novartis associates living with migraine to improve their quality of life. These data have been published in the European Journal of Neurology after the 6th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology was held virtually due to COVID-19.

“The study confirms the high burden of people living and working with migraine but also demonstrates that empowering individuals can significantly increase quality of life and productivity”, said Dr. Gantenbein, Head of the Swiss Headache Society. “This further emphasizes the notion that employer-led well-being programs can benefit individuals, companies and society as a whole”.
  

About Migraine Care
Migraine Care is a pilot program created by Novartis, in collaboration with patient groups and leading experts in neurology, telemedicine and digital medicine, to provide a complementary, independent, third-party service for all Swiss-based Novartis associates living with migraine to improve their quality of life. The program, endorsed by the Swiss Headache Society, aims to raise awareness of migraine in the workplace and provide free coaching to Novartis associates living with migraine. It also aims to empower associates in the management of the disease by leveraging both medical and lifestyle options.

339 Novartis employees registered to the program, out of which 141 consented to their data being analyzed and 79 completed the program at six months. Participants received monthly sessions of individualized telecoaching comprised of educational modules and action plans from a specialized nurse by phone and through a specially developed module on the Migraine Buddy smartphone application. The mean age of participants at baseline was 41.5 years with 70.0% being females. 64.1% of participants had a confirmed diagnosis of migraine. Out of which, 56.8% were not being treated by a physician despite 74.0% having migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) grade ≥2. At the end of six months, participants reported 54.0% decrease in migraine-related disability and a 9.0% increase in the patient activation measure (PAM), a measure which assesses patient knowledge, skill, and confidence for self-management. Loss of productivity through both, absenteism and presenteism, were reduced by more than 50.0% and in addition participants report their private life being significantly less impaired by migraine.

Novartis is exploring opportunities to work with other employers who are interested in supporting their employees and family members living with migraine.

About Migraine
Migraine is a distinct neurological disease¹. It involves recurrent attacks of moderate to severe head pain that is typically pulsating, often unilateral and associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound and odors². Migraine is associated with personal pain, disability and reduced quality of life, and financial cost to society³. It has a profound and limiting impact on an individual's abilities to carry out everyday tasks; the World Health Organization reported migraine to be one of the top 10 causes of years lived with disability for men and women⁴. It remains under-recognized and under-treated^3,5.

Disclaimer 
This media update 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,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “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 media update, 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 media update 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, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity 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 media update as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this media update 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 nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

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References
1.    GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016;388:1545–602
2.    Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine facts. Available from: https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/ [Last accessed: April 2020].
3.    National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Migraine information page. Available from: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Migraine-Information-Page [Last accessed: April 2020].
4.    World Health Organization. Headache disorders. Available from:  http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/ [Last accessed: April 2020].
5.    Diamond S, Bigal ME, Silberstein S, et al. Patterns of diagnosis and acute and preventive treatment for migraine in the United States: Results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study. Headache. 2007;47:355–363.

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