Up The Antibodies is a first-of-its-kind
educational campaign to support the immunocompromised community and
raise awareness of their options to prevent COVID-19, including a
long-acting monoclonal antibody
Today, AstraZeneca (Nasdaq: AZN) launched Up The
Antibodies, an important new campaign that embraces the reality for
millions of immunocompromised Americans1,2: COVID-19 isn’t over.
While it feels like life has gone back to normal for many, this
community still has very real cause for concern. Now, an added
layer of COVID-19 protection can help people who are
immunocompromised start to get back out into the world, doing what
they love with whom they love.
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Up The Antibodies, a new educational
campaign from AstraZeneca with Jeff Bridges and other iconic voices
to help educate the immunocompromised community about added
protection against COVID-19. (Photo: Business Wire)
A recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) highlights the fact that, among US patients
hospitalized with COVID-19, immunocompromised adults accounted for
a disproportionately high percentage (12.2%) of hospitalizations
compared to an estimated 2.7% of the US adult population. These
individuals also had higher odds of severe outcomes, regardless of
vaccination status.3 The development of long-acting monoclonal
antibodies has opened the door for treatment and preventative
options, including protecting immunocompromised people.4
However, awareness of the unmet need and these options is still
low, and that is the reason behind the creation of Up The
Antibodies. To launch the campaign, AstraZeneca released an
empowering public service announcement (PSA) starring Academy
Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges, who recently very publicly
discussed the fight of his life, first with lymphoma and then
COVID-19, which he was exposed to in the time frame when he was
receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
“A lot of the world is trying to move forward and put COVID-19
behind them, but people with compromised immune systems can’t do
that yet,” said Bridges. “That’s why this partnership with
AstraZeneca and Up The Antibodies is incredibly personal to
me.”
Jeff’s battle with COVID-19 almost cost him his life, so it was
fitting that, for this PSA, he was able to get back to doing what
he loves with some of his favorite people – joining director Scott
Cooper and music legend T Bone Burnett - for their first reunion
since the making of 2009’s Academy Award-winning film, Crazy
Heart.
“While the option to up my antibodies to protect me from
COVID-19 wasn’t around when I was going through cancer treatment,
it is now. As soon as I could, I upped my antibodies,” Bridges
said. “And now I'm feeling more confident to get back to doing the
things I love.”
Just as Up The Antibodies aims to let immunocompromised people
know they aren’t alone, Bridges isn’t alone in this campaign.
Actor, producer, and Academy Award-nominated writer Kumail Nanjiani
also joined the campaign, together with his wife, Academy
Award-nominated writer and producer Emily V. Gordon. Emily is
immunocompromised, and the couple is known for talking openly about
their experience in relation to the pandemic; even starting a
podcast in March of 2020 about “staying in.” Kumail and Emily
continued this discussion specifically for Up The Antibodies,
kicking off the campaign with advocacy, influencers and other key
stakeholders to share what it’s like now – still not able to fully
move forward. Kumail and Emily rose to fame with the release of
their award-winning film, The Big Sick, loosely based on their
unique story as a patient-and-caregiver couple, and they continue
to share how they navigate life together.
“Surviving a coma from adult-onset Still's disease was
terrifying. I never want to go through something like that again.
So, with the arrival of the COVID-19 epidemic, we both knew we had
to be more careful than ever before,” said Gordon. “Our experiences
are so similar to what so many people who are immunocompromised are
going through and we are thankful for the opportunity to share our
experiences to educate others, so they can talk with their doctors
about their options.”
Nanjiani adds, “At the start of the pandemic, I suffered panic
attacks for the first time in my life because I was so worried
about Emily, and now, while we have learned to navigate together,
it never gets easier. Decisions are often made together, which is
why it’s important for everyone to know that there is the option to
add protection in addition to vaccines and boosters, wearing a mask
and social distancing to prevent COVID-19.”
From the outset of this initiative, AstraZeneca is proud to
collaborate with the Immune Deficiency Foundation, and other
leading provider and patient community allies, to ensure the
campaign is built with and for the evolving urgent needs of the
immunocompromised patient community.
“At AstraZeneca, we believe it is our unique responsibility to
support and empower the immunocompromised community, offering hope
while the rest of the world strives to return to a sense of
normalcy,” said Liz Bodin, VP, Respiratory & Immunology at
AstraZeneca. “It is through our partnership with academia,
advocacy, researchers and government we are able to discover
coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies that can help protect the most
vulnerable against COVID-19.”
Visit UpTheAntibodies.com to view additional content from
Bridges, Nanjiani and Gordon. The campaign website also includes
information on long-acting monoclonal antibodies and essential
resources, including a patient and doctor conversation guide.
Campaign followers are encouraged to join Up The Antibodies social
channels to engage with others in the immunocompromised community
and share experiences navigating the pandemic.
Notes
About Up The Antibodies Up The Antibodies is an
educational campaign for those who are immunocompromised about
steps they can take to get an added layer of protection to prevent
COVID-19 including with a long-acting monoclonal antibody therapy
option. While the development of vaccines allowed many Americans to
get back to normal, COVID-19 has continued to hold back people who
are immunocompromised and who may not receive adequate protection
from vaccines alone.5 Up The Antibodies serves as a call to action,
reminding this community that when you up your antibodies, it can
offer a renewed sense of hope to get back to the little things in
life that you enjoy the most. Visit UpTheAntibodies.com to access
additional information and resources, and follow Up The Antibodies
on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Long-Acting Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Monoclonal
antibody therapy was one of the first tools used to treat
COVID-19.6 For those who are immunocompromised/immune compromised,
monoclonal antibody therapy can offer additional protection on top
of vaccinations to help protect the most vulnerable.4 Monoclonal
antibodies are produced in a laboratory to mimic or enhance the
immune system's response.7 They recognize, bind to and neutralize
specific viruses and other pathogens.4
About Jeff Bridges Jeff Bridges, Academy Award winner and
musician, went through his own terrifying experience battling
COVID-19 while undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma. In 2020, as
the world shut down from the pandemic, Jeff was diagnosed with
cancer after learning he had a 9x12-inch tumor in his body. Jeff
credits his amazing medical team for working together to find the
right chemotherapy combination for his cancer. However, when
COVID-19 hit Jeff’s weakened immune system, he was forced back into
hospital care. With the help of his family and his medical team
once again, Jeff turned a corner. After receiving a long-acting
monoclonal antibody, Jeff was feeling better and getting back to
what he loves. He partnered with AstraZeneca to share his COVID-19
experience and to help the immunocompromised community understand
that there’s a way they, too, can get back to truly living when
they up their antibodies.
About Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon Kumail
Nanjiani, actor, producer and Academy Award-nominated writer, and
his wife Emily V. Gordon, Academy Award-nominated writer and
producer, have gone through their own challenges during the
COVID-19 pandemic not only as husband and wife but also as a
patient and caregiver team. Emily navigates life with adult-onset
Still’s disease, an autoimmune condition, with Kumail at her side.
The couple partnered with AstraZeneca to share their own COVID-19
experiences, shedding light on the unique challenges facing
caregivers and loved ones and helping to educate others in a
similar situation about the ability to add protection from COVID-19
when you up your antibodies.
About AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is a global, science-led
biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery,
development and commercialization of prescription medicines in
Oncology, Rare Diseases and BioPharmaceuticals, including
Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory &
Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over
100 countries, and its innovative medicines are used by millions of
patients worldwide. For more information, please visit
www.astrazeneca-us.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZenecaUS.
References
- Harpaz R, Dahl RM, Dooling KL. Prevalence of Immunosuppression
Among US Adults, 2013. JAMA. 2016;316(23):2547-2548. doi:
10.1001/jama.2016.16477. Accessed June 15, 2022.
- US Census Bureau Public Information Office. (2013, May 19).
Census Bureau projects U.S. population of 315.1 million on New
Year's day - population - newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-255.html.
Accessed August 26, 2022.
- Singson JR, Kirley PD, Pham H, et al. Factors Associated with
Severe Outcomes Among Immunocompromised Adults Hospitalized for
COVID-19 — COVID-NET, 10 States, March 2020–February 2022. MMWR
Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:878–884.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7127a3. Accessed July 19,
2022.
- Taylor PC, Adams AC, Hufford MM, de la Torre I, Winthrop K,
Gottlieb RL. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies for treatment of
COVID-19. Nat Rev Immunol. 2021;21(6):382-393.
doi:10.1038/s41577-021-00542-x. Accessed June 15, 2022.
- Haidar G, Agha M, Bilderback A, et al. Prospective evaluation
of COVID-19 vaccine responses across a broad spectrum of
immunocompromising conditions: the COVICS study [published online
ahead of print, 2022 Feb 18]. Clin Infect Dis. 2022;
75(1):e630-e644. doi:10.1093/cid/ciac103. Accessed June 13,
2022.
- Minnich A, Rocha D, Hu Y, Boell K, Burke GF. Delivering
monoclonal antibody infusions to novel outpatient settings. NEJM
Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1056/CAT.21.0463. Accessed August 26, 2022.
- Lloyd EC, Gandhi TN, Petty LA. Patient information: Monoclonal
antibodies for COVID-19. JAMA.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2776307.
Published March 9, 2021. Accessed July 13, 2022.
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Media Brendan McEvoy +1 302 885 2677 Jillian Gonzales +1
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