Campaign Uses Social Video to Raise Awareness for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Amsterdam, 11th November, 2015 – Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced the launch of the #Laugh4Lungs campaign. This social media campaign aims to use the power of laughter to promote global awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to raise money for three leading COPD charities across Europe, including: the British Lung Foundation (UK), Longfonds (Netherlands) and Fundación Lovexair (Spain). #Laugh4Lungs is being launched in recognition of World COPD Day, which takes place on 18th November 2015.
COPD is a debilitating lung disease that is estimated to affect over 200 million people worldwide. Although COPD represents the fourth most common cause of death globally, awareness of COPD among the general public and those at greatest risk for the disease remains surprisingly low. As such, it is likely that many more individuals are living with COPD, but are yet to be diagnosed.
“At Teva we believe it is important to increase global awareness of this debilitating disease,” said Luca Frangoni, Head of Respiratory, Teva Europe. “With #Laugh4Lungs we have chosen laughter as the vehicle to promote awareness of COPD because it’s a universal language that transcends between all ages and is beneficial for lung function and overall wellbeing.”
#Laugh4Lungs aims to inspire people to use the power of laughter to raise awareness and money for COPD, and to remind those living with COPD that they aren’t alone. The campaign encourages people to share videos of themselves or someone else laughing on social media channels, then tag or nominate others within their social networks. In addition, people can also donate money to charities that are working to make a difference within the COPD community. Please visit www.ICanLiveWithCOPD.com for more information about #Laugh4Lungs and how to donate, as well as further resources and practical advice about living with COPD.
About COPD
COPD is an umbrella term used to describe a group of debilitating diseases that cause progressive obstruction of the airways, including bronchitis and emphysema. Symptoms include breathlessness, frequent coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. COPD is commonly caused by smoking (active and passive), but other causes include exposure to air pollution, dust or fumes. COPD cannot be cured, but symptoms can be managed by taking medication, quitting smoking and living a healthy lifestyle. If the disease isn’t managed properly, it can be fatal. More than three million people died of COPD in 2012, and The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that COPD will become the most common cause of death by 2030.
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions to millions of patients every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world’s largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of more than 1,000 molecules to produce a wide range of generic products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines, Teva has a world-leading position in innovative treatments for disorders of the central nervous system, including pain, as well as a strong portfolio of respiratory products. Teva integrates its generics and specialty capabilities in its global research and development division to create new ways of addressing unmet patient needs by combining drug development capabilities with devices, services and technologies. Teva’s net revenues in 2014 amounted to $20.3 billion. For more information, visit www.tevapharm.com.
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