HOLLY

After a 15-year struggle with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis where nothing seemed to work, a meeting with a new doctor with a new treatment option changed everything for Holly.

FINDING HAPPINESS IN MY OWN SKIN

Ever since I was a teenager, I struggled with my skin. As a young adult, I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Doing the things I loved—teaching first grade, taking Pilates classes, and just hanging out with my family—often made me feel self-conscious and embarrassed about my flakes.

Thankfully, I met Dr. Melinda Greenfield (fun fact: she also treated my mother and grandmother for their skin conditions!), who changed my psoriasis treatment journey by introducing me to ILUMYA®. In fact, she was the first doctor who really explained that moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis is so much more than the symptoms that show up on your skin. She told me that it’s a condition that actually involves the immune system.

After dealing with skin conditions for many years, I finally feel confident about my skin, all thanks to ILUMYA®.

I was so excited to share my story on a recent episode of The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV.

TAKING MY SKIN IN MY OWN HANDS

For me, it had been a 15-year struggle with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and nothing ever seemed to work. But I never gave up. And after trying treatment after treatment, my doctor and I found ILUMYA®. I couldn’t believe it when I met some other patients whose paths were similar to mine. Between the 4 of us, I think we tried just about everything in the book. Some things would work for a little bit and then quit. Not ILUMYA®, though. We trust it to continue to give us the results that we’ve been looking for.

I told my doctor, I want to try this one. I want to try ILUMYA®.

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PSORIASIS ACTION MONTH: A MONTH DEVOTED TO US—PEOPLE WITH PSORIASIS

Thanks to the National Psoriasis Foundation, August has become a month when we all come together around a common goal—raising awareness for psoriasis and fighting to find a cure. It's a month that unites our community and gives us all a chance to show our commitment and dedication to each other. It's a month when, perhaps, you can take some time to educate yourself about your disease (defeat the enemy by knowing the enemy) or experiment with something a little different to soothe your symptoms (two words: oatmeal bath). Or maybe it's the month when you finally talk to your doctor about a different treatment (I can recommend a treatment that worked for me 😉).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA® (tildrakizumab-asmn)?

Do not use ILUMYA® if you have had a severe allergic reaction to ILUMYA® or any of its ingredients.

Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:

  • feel faint
  • trouble breathing or throat tightness
  • swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue or throat
  • chest tightness
  • skin rash

What is ILUMYA®?

ILUMYA® is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections, pills (systemic therapy), or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (continued)

ILUMYA® is a medicine that may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with ILUMYA® and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with ILUMYA® if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with ILUMYA®.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including:

  • fever, sweats, or chills
  • muscle aches
  • weight loss
  • cough
  • warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body different from your psoriasis
  • diarrhea or stomach pain
  • shortness of breath
  • burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal
  • blood in your phlegm (mucus)

Before receiving ILUMYA®, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have any of the conditions or symptoms listed in the section “What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA®?”
  • have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back
  • have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB
  • recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine (immunization). You should avoid receiving live vaccines during treatment with ILUMYA®.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ILUMYA® can harm your unborn baby.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ILUMYA® passes into your breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

It is not known if ILUMYA® is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

What are the possible side effects of ILUMYA®?

ILUMYA® may cause serious side effects. See “What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA®?”

The most common side effects of ILUMYA® include: upper respiratory infections, injection site reactions and diarrhea. These are not all of the possible side effects of ILUMYA®. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report any negative side effects of ILUMYA® to FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You are also encouraged to report side effects or ADEs (adverse drug events) to our Drug Safety Department at 1-800-406-7984 or drug.safetyUSA@sunpharma.com (preferred) with as much information as available.

Please read the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for ILUMYA® and discuss any questions with your doctor.