February is National Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month
Bausch + Lomb Partners with Jeopardy!® to Sponsor Special “Eye Health” Category
Consumers Drive Disease Awareness and Donations through #WhyEyeFight Social Media Campaign
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – This February, Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, is partnering with the organization Prevent Blindness®, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight, for the second year in a row to urge patients to join the fight for their sight during Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month. This year’s activities include a consumer-focused social media campaign and media integration with Jeopardy!, America’s Favorite Quiz Show®.
“AMD is a progressive eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in people age 50 and older and 1 out of 5 people over the age of 65 will be diagnosed with the disease,” said Joe Gordon, senior vice president and general manager, Bausch + Lomb Consumer Healthcare. “Which is why it’s so important that we not only support and empower the estimated 11 million people that are impacted by AMD, but also motivate others to join the fight to preserve their sight for the future. At Bausch + Lomb, we believe that nothing is more important than patients’ vision, which is why we are continuously looking for creative ways to educate the public about eye health.”
As part of AMD Awareness Month and to kick off the month, Bausch + Lomb has partnered with Jeopardy!, America’s Favorite Quiz Show®, to create a special EYE HEALTH category, scheduled to air on February 7, 2017. Check local listings for show times and stations.
Throughout the month of February, consumers are encouraged to join the initiative by helping to raise awareness and showing their support of the AMD patient community on social media. For every “share” or “like” of a Bausch + Lomb Facebook post promoting AMD Awareness Month, Bausch + Lomb will donate $1 to the organization Prevent Blindness®, up to $25,000.* Consumers can also raise awareness by adding the #WhyEyeFight picture frame to their Facebook profile picture by visiting www.joyofsight.com/whyeyefight for more details. By visiting www.joyofsight.com/whyeyefight, consumers can also share posts communicating why they fight to help preserve their vision for the future right to their Facebook and Twitter feeds using the hashtag #WhyEyeFight. Links to the Bausch + Lomb AMD Facebook posts and instructions on how to add the Facebook profile picture frame are available at www.joyofsight.com/whyeyefight.
“We are excited to partner with Bausch + Lomb once again to encourage others to join the fight to preserve their vision for the future” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness®. “By sharing their story and raising awareness of the disease, consumers can help remind others not to take their vision for granted.”
AMD is characterized by loss of central vision, usually in both eyes. The person may experience a dark spot in the center of their vision and or, distorted or wavy vertical lines or blurry text. If left untreated, the majority of eyes affected with wet AMD will become functionally blind within two years. Websites, such as www.joyofsight.com and www.preventblindness.org, provide helpful educational resources for people with AMD and their families.
“Although there is no cure for AMD, it is important that appropriate steps are taken to help reduce patient’s risk of progression,” said Michael Cooney, MD, a New York-based retinal specialist and expert in the study of retinal disease. “For my patients, I recommend a healthy diet and PreserVision® AREDS 2 Formula eye vitamins, which includes the specific combination of nutrients, recommended by the National Eye Institute for people with moderate to advanced AMD. Patients should talk to their eye doctor to see if an AREDS 2 formula supplement is right for them.”
For more information on AMD or the #WhyEyeFight program, please visit www.joyofsight.com/whyeyefight or www.preventblindness.org/amd. Follow the conversation on Twitter and Facebook with hashtag #WhyEyeFight.
About Prevent Blindness®
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness® is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness® touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness® is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call (800) 331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at www.preventblindness.org or facebook.com/preventblindness.
About PreserVision®
PreserVision®, developed by Bausch + Lomb, is the #1 doctor-recommended eye vitamin brand. PreserVision® AREDS 2 Formula eye vitamins are based on the 2013 AREDS2 study conducted by the National Eye Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on protecting, enhancing and restoring people’s eyesight. Our core businesses include over-the-counter supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. We develop, manufacture and market one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in our industry, which is available in more than 100 countries.
News Media Contacts:
Kristy Marks
Sr. Manager, Communications, Bausch + Lomb
(908) 927-0683 or [email protected]
Don Murphy
Zeno Group, on behalf of Bausch + Lomb
(212) 299-8970 or [email protected]
*Bausch + Lomb will donate $1 to the organization Prevent Blindness for every Facebook like or share, up to $25,000 from 2/1/2017 through 2/28/2017.
PreserVision is a trademark of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates. AREDS2 is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). All other product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the respective owners.
© 2017 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.
“Age-related Macular Degeneration”. Neil M. Bressler, M.D; Susan B. Bressler, M.D.; Stuart L. Fine, M.D. for the Retinal Vascular Center, Wilmer Opthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA. Survey of Ophthalmology, Volume 32, Issue 6, May-June 1988, Pages 375-413 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0039625788900525
What Is Macular Degeneration?: https://www.amd.org/what-is-macular-degeneration/
Forecasting Age-Related Macular Degeneration Through the Year 2050 — The Potential Impact of New Treatments”. David B. Rein, PhD; John S. Wittenborn, BS; Xinzhi Zhang, MD, PhD; Amanda A. Honeycutt, PhD; Sarah B. Lesesne, BS; Jinan Saaddine, MD, MPH; for the Vision Health Cost-Effectiveness Study Group. Archives of Ophthalmology. 127(4):533-540. April 2009.
Download a copy of the AMD Awareness Month press release.
