CROMWELL, Conn., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Justin Rose was named this week’s CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) Charity Challenge winner for his first-place standing entering the final round of the Buick Championship, run by the Greater Hartford Jaycees. The CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge is a season-long competition that recognizes and rewards the tournament leader entering the final round at 35 PGA TOUR events. Through the program, now in its second year, AstraZeneca will donate $3.5 million a year to designated health and PGA TOUR charities. At each of the selected tournaments, a $100,000 contribution will be made, supporting the PGA TOUR’s “Drive to a Billion” campaign which celebrates the spirit of giving that has helped the TOUR and its tournaments approach the milestone of $1 billion dollars in charitable giving.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050827/NYSA001 )
For Rose’s performance, CRESTOR, an AstraZeneca pharmaceutical product, and the Buick Championship will donate $50,000 to VNA Health Care. In addition, $50,000 will be donated to the health care charity of Rose’s choice. The Greater Hartford Jaycees Foundation designates the tournament’s charity selection as part of the CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge each year. CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge winners and the tournament’s designated charity will be recognized during the network or cable telecast of each tournament.
Last year, Fred Funk was in the lead entering the final round of the Buick Championship. For his performance, AstraZeneca donated $50,000 to the Greater Bristol Visiting Nurse Association, and Funk donated $50,000 to the Gateway Community Services in Jacksonville, Florida.
“We are honored and grateful to have been selected as this year’s recipient of the CRESTOR Charity Challenge,” said Linda Tipping, associate director of development of VNA Health Care. “The generous $50,000 donation will help us provide home health telemonitoring to inner-city Hartford women with high-risk pregnancies. Through daily vital sign observation, the program will help monitor and control prenatal conditions like gestational diabetes and hypertension.”
The CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) Charity Challenge is the centerpiece of a multi-year PGA TOUR partnership with AstraZeneca . Last year, AstraZeneca donated $2.7 million through the program. Highlights from the CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge include:
* Brandt Jobe was the last CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge winner, triumphing at The International * Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson lead all players in 2005 with three (3) CCC victories (Singh: Mercedes Championship, Shell Houston Open and Buick Open; Mickelson: Buick Invitational, AT&T Pebble Beach and Ford Championship at Doral) * The other multiple CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge winners in 2005 are Luke Donald, Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk, who have each won twice * Singh has won eight (8) CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenges since the program’s inception in 2004 resulting in $350,000 to the charities of his choice -- $150,000 of which was donated to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. (Singh tied for the lead entering the final round at two tournaments)
“After just one year, the CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge has become a visible extension of the PGA TOUR’s mission of giving back in local communities throughout America,” said Tony Zook, senior vice president, commercial operations, AstraZeneca. “Through the support of AstraZeneca, the CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge will play a major role in the PGA TOUR’s ‘Drive to a Billion’ charitable program.”
Fans can log on to http://www.crestor.pgatour.com to read about past CRESTOR(R) Charity Challenge winners and learn more about CRESTOR. CRESTOR is the presenting sponsor of TOUR Fantasy Golf at pgatour.com/fantasy and the PGA TOUR’s year-end charity special that will air in December.
About VNA Health Care
Founded in 1901, VNA Health Care provides home health care to 60 towns in Central Connecticut and Greater Waterbury. The agency provides care ranging from skilled nursing, hospice, rehabilitation and speech therapy to cardiac nursing. VNA Health Care home support services encourage independent lifestyles through the assistance of private duty nurses, homemakers and home health aides, Meals on Wheels, geriatric care management and the Lifeline home emergency response system. VNA Health Care is an affiliate of Hartford Hospital and is a Caring Partner with St. Mary’s Hospital. The not-for-profit, Medicare-certified agency is accredited by the Joint Commissions on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations and cares for more than 12,000 patients annually.
About CRESTOR
CRESTOR (rosuvastatin calcium) is a once-daily prescription medication for use as an adjunct to diet in the treatment of various lipid disorders including primary hypercholesterolemia, mixed dyslipidemia and isolated hypertriglyceridemia. It is a member of the statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) class of drug therapy. CRESTOR has not been determined to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. For patients with hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia, the usual recommended starting dose of CRESTOR is 10 mg. However, initiation of therapy with 5 mg once daily should be considered for patients requiring less aggressive LDL-C reductions or who have predisposing factors for myopathy, and for special populations such as patients taking cyclosporine, Asian patients, and patients with severe renal insufficiency. For patients with marked hypercholesterolemia (LDL-C greater than 190 mg/dL) and aggressive lipid targets, a 20-mg starting dose may be considered. AstraZeneca licensed worldwide rights to CRESTOR from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
Important Safety Information
CRESTOR is contraindicated in patients with active liver disease or unexplained persistent elevations of serum transaminases, in women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and in nursing mothers. It is recommended that liver function tests be performed before and at 12 weeks following both the initiation of therapy and any elevation of dose, and periodically (e.g., semiannually) thereafter. Rare cases of rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure secondary to myoglobinuria have been reported with CRESTOR and with other drugs in this class. The 40-mg dose of CRESTOR is reserved only for those patients who have not achieved their LDL-C goal utilizing the 20 mg dose of CRESTOR once daily. When initiating statin therapy or switching from another statin therapy, the appropriate CRESTOR starting dose should first be utilized, and only then titrated according to the patient’s individualized goal of therapy. The benefit of further alterations in lipid levels by the combined use of rosuvastatin with fibrates or niacin should be carefully weighed against the potential risks of this combination. Combination therapy with rosuvastatin and gemfibrozil should generally be avoided. CRESTOR should be prescribed with caution in patients with predisposing factors for myopathy, such as renal impairment, advanced age, and inadequately treated hypothyroidism. Patients should be advised to promptly report unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, particularly if accompanied by malaise or fever. CRESTOR is generally well-tolerated. Adverse reactions have usually been mild and transient. The most frequent adverse events thought to be related to CRESTOR were myalgia (3.3%), constipation (1.4%), asthenia (1.3%), abdominal pain (1.3%) and nausea (1.3%).
A full copy of the prescribing information for CRESTOR is available at http:/www.astrazeneca-us.com/pi/crestor.pdf or by calling 1-877-420-7249.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international health care business engaged in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of health care services. It is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with health care sales of over $21.4 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology, and neuroscience products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $9.6 billion health care business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit http://www.astrazeneca-us.com.
Contacts: Chris Smith, PGA TOUR (904) 273-3379 csmith@pgatourhq.com Kellie Caldwell, AstraZeneca (302) 885-1435
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050827/NYSA001AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comAstraZeneca
CONTACT: Chris Smith of PGA TOUR, +1-904-273-3379, csmith@pgatourhq.com;or Kellie Caldwell of AstraZeneca, +1-302-885-1435
