Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. And The COPD Foundation Launch Reel COPD To Support Family Caregivers

Patients and Caregivers Share Stories about Coping with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) and the COPD Foundation launched a new video series, Reel COPD, to share the first-hand stories of patients and their caregivers as they cope with a chronic, progressive disease. The first three videos in the series are now live on COPDTogether.com, building upon the existing tools and resources available to patients and caregivers.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151109005271/en/

Sunovion and the COPD Foundation initiated COPD Together in 2013 to empower and educate caregivers about managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The three new videos collectively share the real-life insights of more than a dozen patients and caregivers, providing inspiration and guidance for others faced with managing the challenges of COPD.

“As November is both National Family Caregiver and COPD Awareness Month, we feel it is an opportune time to focus on the instrumental role that COPD caregivers play,” said John W. Walsh, President and co-founder of the COPD Foundation. “We will continue to build partnerships and implement campaigns that make an impact, encourage caregivers and patients to share their personal stories, and overcome day-to-day challenges.”

In addition to patient and caregiver stories, www.COPDTogether.com features a comprehensive library of tools and information to help visitors take a proactive approach to managing COPD. Resources include the “My Diary” tool to chronicle medication and daily symptoms, the COPD Caregiver’s Guide, and the COPD Care mobile app to assist with tracking disease progression and to help guide conversations with healthcare providers.

“My wife and I chose to tell our story for one simple reason - a lot of patients and caregivers will benefit enormously from this information,” said James Nelson, a COPD patient for 20 years from Tucson, Arizona. “We are hoping to encourage as many people as possible to stay strong. Caring for a COPD patient is a tough job and there is much to know about understanding the symptoms, tracking medications, communicating with loved ones and administering proper care. That’s why we think that imparting our first-hand knowledge will be of great help.”

“As caregivers are on the front lines in managing their loved one’s health, we feel it is imperative to offer them tools to help recognize disease progression and take an active role in care,” said Michael Gaines, Executive Director of Respiratory Marketing, Sunovion. “Our team is dedicated to providing resources that support patients, their caregivers, and the full COPD ‘shared care’ team, as we advance our ongoing commitment to the respiratory community.”

www.COPDTogether.com is a highly dynamic website that continues to expand with additional information and real-life stories. It not only serves as a destination for much-needed educational resources but also encourages caregivers to maintain a healthy, vigorous and well-balanced lifestyle for themselves, which will enable them to take better care of their family members.

About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation’s mission is to prevent and cure chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and improve the lives of all people affected by COPD. The Foundation’s activities focus on achieving these results through research, education and advocacy programs. To learn more about the COPD Foundation, please visit www.copdfoundation.org.

About Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion)
Sunovion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the innovative application of science and medicine to help people with serious medical conditions. Sunovion’s spirit of innovation is driven by the conviction that scientific excellence paired with meaningful advocacy and relevant education can improve lives. The Company has charted new paths to life-transforming treatments that reflect ongoing investments in research and development and an unwavering commitment to support people with psychiatric, neurological, and respiratory conditions. Sunovion’s track record of discovery, development and commercialization of important therapies has included Brovana® (arformoterol tartrate), Latuda® (lurasidone HCI), and most recently Aptiom® (eslicarbazepine acetate).

Headquartered in Marlborough, Mass. Sunovion is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe Ltd., based in London, England, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada, Inc., based in Mississauga, Ontario, are wholly-owned direct subsidiaries of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Additional information can be found on the Company’s web sites: www.sunovion.com, www.sunovion.eu and www.sunovion.ca. Connect with Sunovion on Twitter @Sunovion and LinkedIn.

About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is a top-ten listed pharmaceutical company in Japan. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma aims to produce innovative pharmaceutical products in the Psychiatry & Neurology area and the Oncology area, which have been designated as the focus therapeutic areas. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has about 7,000 employees worldwide. Additional information about Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is available through its corporate website at www.ds-pharma.com.

BROVANA is a registered trademark of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
LATUDA is a registered trademark of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
APTIOM is used under license from BIAL.

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
© 2015 Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

For a copy of this release, visit Sunovion’s web site at www.sunovion.com

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151109005271/en/

Contact:
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc
Patrick Gaffey, 508-357-7740
Executive Director, Corporate Communications.
patrick.gaffey@sunovion.com

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