THOUSAND OAKS - Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced a partnership with Karamo Brown, Emmy-nominated host from Netflix's hit show 'Queer Eye,' to support and empower people living with migraine.
Karamo, who is known for helping people open up about themselves, is discussing his own struggles with migraine for the first time to help spread knowledge and acceptance. The Know Migraine Mission is a national effort by the companies behind Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) to challenge public misconceptions, start new conversations and make the world a more migraine-friendly place. As part of the initiative, Karamo, who is not an Aimovig patient but has dealt with migraine for years, will share his thoughts with people personally affected by migraine along with their friends, families and coworkers to help increase understanding of the disease.
'We've all been feeling the stress of this year, and it's compounded if you live with migraine like me. However, some people don't realize how challenging this disease can be, which is why I'm excited to lend my voice to the Know Migraine Mission,' said Karamo. 'For people with migraine, talking about it can help make a real difference in their lives. Those conversations are important, even though they might look different today so, whether it's a social-distanced lunch date with a friend or a video call with a doctor, it's important to take control where possible.'
Migraine is a complex neurological disease that impacts millions of people in the U.S.2-5 Despite its prevalence and severity, migraine is often misunderstood and dismissed as being 'just a headache.'6 Research shows people may often feel stigmatized for missing time with friends, family and co-workers because of their migraine.2,6
Karamo has struggled with migraine since he was in high school. The disease has impacted many parts of his life, including his ability to spend time with his two sons and other family and friends. As part of this partnership, Karamo is answering questions and sharing his thoughts with others who are living with this disease. On KnowMigraineMission.com and social media, including the Aimovig Facebook and Instagram pages, Karamo will address how others can start new conversations to help reduce the stigma around migraine.6
Aimovig, co-marketed in the U.S. by Amgen and Novartis, is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment indicated to prevent migraine in adults by targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor.7 Clinical study results have established the efficacy and safety profile of Aimovig across a spectrum of people living with both episodic and chronic migraine.8,9
'Aimovig is proven to reduce monthly migraine days and for some, can cut the number of monthly migraine days in half or more, allowing patients to be there more in their everyday lives,' said Darryl Sleep, M.D., senior vice president, Global Medical, and chief medical officer at Amgen. 'But while treatment has evolved, progress still needs to be made to change the conversation around migraine and better support people living with this debilitating disease. Through the Know Migraine Mission, we want to educate the broader community about the impact of migraine and empower people to speak up about their disease and seek treatment options that may be appropriate for them.'
About the Know Migraine Mission
The Know Migraine Mission is a national effort by Amgen and Novartis to challenge public misconceptions, start new conversations and make the world a more migraine-friendly place. The way migraine can be treated has changed,7 but the way people with migraine are treated still has a long way to go. Amgen and Novartis believe the more vocal and visible people with migraine are, the more others will recognize the debilitating effects of this disease.5
About Aimovig (erenumab-aooe)
Aimovig, co-marketed in the U.S. by Amgen and Novartis, is the first FDA-approved migraine preventive treatment that targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, which is associated with migraine.7,11 Aimovig has been studied in several large, global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to assess its efficacy and safety in migraine prevention.9,10 Aimovig is self-administered once monthly via the easy-to-use SureClick autoinjector, without a required loading dose.7,12 More than 3,000 patients participated in registrational trials of Aimovig across four placebo-controlled Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies and their open-label extensions.8,9,10,13,14
Aimovig is also being evaluated through CATALYST, a comprehensive evidence generation program initiated by Amgen and Novartis that includes over 7,500 patients across ongoing clinical trials and a robust assessment of real-world evidence. Spanning over 39 countries globally, CATALYST clinical trials will explore the role of Aimovig in comparative studies, assessing impact on novel migraine outcomes, understanding predictive biomarkers and investigating Aimovig's use in additional study populations. To date, more than 480,000 patients worldwide have been prescribed Aimovig for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults.15
About Migraine
People with frequent migraine attacks may lose more than half their life to migraine.16,17 One attack could last up to three days.16 They endure debilitating pain, physical impairment, and live in constant dread of the next attack - all of which is compounded by a widespread misperception of the disease.5,6 The 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study ranks migraine among the top 10 causes of years lived with disability worldwide.18 Migraine is associated with personal and societal burdens of pain, disability and financial cost, and it remains under-recognized and under-treated.2,19
About Amgen and Novartis Neuroscience Collaboration
In August 2015, Amgen entered into a global collaboration with Novartis to develop and commercialize pioneering treatments in the field of migraine. The collaboration focuses on investigational Amgen drugs in the migraine field, including Aimovig (approved by the FDA in May 2018 for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults).7 In April 2017, the collaboration was expanded to include co-commercialization of Aimovig in the U.S. For the migraine programs, Amgen retains exclusive commercialization rights in the U.S. (other than for Aimovig as described above) and Japan, and Novartis has exclusive commercialization rights in Europe, Canada and rest of world. At the center of the Amgen and Novartis neuroscience collaboration is the shared mission to fight migraine and the stereotypes and misperceptions surrounding this debilitating disease.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.
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Contact:
Arvind Sood
Tel: 805-447-1060
AMGEN INC. 
