Upsher-Smith Reimagines Prescriber Education with Launch of Migraine PeerConnect

Maple Grove, MN – December 7, 2020 – Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC (Upsher-Smith) today announced that as part of its ongoing effort to reimagine prescriber education during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has launched a new and innovative peer-to-peer product education program entitled Migraine PeerConnect. The program, which includes a series of videos hosted by leaders in the field of neurology and headache medicine, gives Upsher-Smith’s sales team an opportunity to maintain a virtual relationship with prescribers by providing medically relevant and engaging content about migraine treatment options including fast-acting Tosymra® (sumatriptan nasal spray) 10 mg, an acute treatment for migraine with or without aura in adults.1-3 Please see Important Safety Information below.

“Educating providers is particularly important as it enables them to refine their skills and stay current with the latest developments within their specialty,” said Jack Schim, MD, Co-Director of the Headache Center of Southern California. “The COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the way practitioners interact with their patients but has also impacted how product information is delivered to healthcare providers. At the outset of the pandemic, medical meetings and face-to-face interactions with pharmaceutical representatives ceased immediately, which led many organizations to develop innovative platforms to deliver product education to providers. We have all quickly reimagined ways to deliver current medical information in a virtual world. Upsher-Smith’s Migraine PeerConnect is one example of how a company was able to quickly adapt and utilize peer-to-peer learning to educate prescribers on the importance of personalizing treatment plans for their migraine patients, an essential component of effective migraine management.”

Upsher-Smith has a long history of using virtual methods to engage and interact with prescribers and their offices. When the sales team began working from home at the start of the pandemic, this allowed the Company to quickly pivot to “virtual office visits” with healthcare professionals to ensure physical distancing and to offer prescribers flexibility with their own schedules. The launch of Migraine PeerConnect is an added stepping stone for Upsher-Smith in how it’s adapting and redefining its approach to prescriber engagement.

As Upsher-Smith redefines its approach to product education, the Company is also continuously looking for innovative and impactful ways to make prescribing its products easier for headache specialists and affordable for patients. Upsher-Smith’s migraine medications are supported by the Access Pathways® Program, a dedicated savings and support team that offers copay assistance and administrative support. Eligible patients pay $0 Per Prescription* for their migraine medication with the Platinum Pass® savings card. The Company also recently added a free home delivery option for all of its brand products.

About Upsher-Smith

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC is a trusted U.S. pharmaceutical company that strives to improve the health and lives of patients through an unwavering commitment to high-quality products and sustainable growth. Since 1919, it has brought generics and brands to a wide array of customers backed by an attentive level of service, strong industry relationships, and dedication to uninterrupted supply.

As Upsher-Smith begins its second century in business, the company enters a new ambitious era that has been accelerated by its 2017 acquisition by Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Upsher-Smith and Sawai plan to leverage each other for growth worldwide and embark on an exciting new chapter as they seek to deliver the best value for their stakeholders, and most importantly, Do More Good™ for the patients they serve. For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.

*Restrictions apply. Maximum of eight single-dose nasal spray units per month. Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal and state health care program patients are not eligible.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Tosymra® can cause serious side effects, including heart attack and other heart problems, which may lead to death. Stop Tosymra and get emergency medical help if you have any signs of heart attack:

• discomfort in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
• severe tightness, pain, pressure, or heaviness in your chest, throat, neck, or jaw
• pain or discomfort in your arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
• shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
• breaking out in a cold sweat
• nausea or vomiting
• feeling lightheaded

Tosymra is not for people with risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure or cholesterol, smoking, overweight, diabetes, family history of heart disease) unless a heart exam is done and shows no problem.

Do not use Tosymra if you have:

• history of heart problems
• narrowing of blood vessels to your legs, arms, stomach, or kidney (peripheral vascular disease)
• uncontrolled high blood pressure
• severe liver problems
• hemiplegic or basilar migraines. If you are not sure if you have these, ask your healthcare provider.
• had a stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), or problems with blood circulation
• taken any of the following medicines in the last 24 hours: almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, ergotamines, or dihydroergotamine. Ask your provider if you are not sure if your medicine is listed above.
• are taking certain antidepressants, known as monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A inhibitors or it has been 2 weeks or less since you stopped taking a MAO-A inhibitor. Ask your provider for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.
• an allergy to sumatriptan or any ingredient in Tosymra

Tell your provider about all of your medical conditions and medicines you take, including vitamins and supplements.

Tosymra can cause dizziness, weakness, or drowsiness. If so, do not drive a car, use machinery, or do anything where you need to be alert.

Tosymra may cause serious side effects including:

• changes in color or sensation in your fingers and toes
• sudden or severe stomach pain, stomach pain after meals, weight loss, nausea or vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever
• cramping and pain in your legs or hips, feeling of heaviness or tightness in your leg muscles, burning or aching pain in your feet or toes while resting, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs, cold feeling or color changes in one or both legs or feet
• increased blood pressure including a sudden severe increase even if you have no history of high blood pressure
• medication overuse headaches from using migraine medicine for 10 or more days each month. If your headaches get worse, call your provider.
• serotonin syndrome, a rare but serious problem that can happen in people using Tosymra, especially when used with anti-depressant medicines called SSRIs or SNRIs. Call your provider right away if you have: mental changes such as seeing things that are not there (hallucinations), agitation, or coma; fast heartbeat; changes in blood pressure; high body temperature; tight muscles; or trouble walking.
• hives (itchy bumps); swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
• seizures even in people who have never had seizures before

The most common side effects of Tosymra include: tingling, dizziness, feeling warm or hot, burning feeling, feeling of heaviness, feeling of pressure, flushing, feeling of tightness, numbness, application site (nasal) reactions, abnormal taste, and throat irritation.

Tell your provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Tosymra. For more information, ask your provider.

This is the most important information to know about Tosymra but is not comprehensive. For more information, talk to your provider and read the Patient Information and Instructions for Use. You can also visit www.upsher-smith.com or call 1-888-650-3789.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tosymra is a prescription medicine used to treat acute migraine headaches with or without aura in adults.

Tosymra is not used to treat other types of headaches such as hemiplegic or basilar migraines or cluster headaches.

Tosymra is not used to prevent migraines. It is not known if Tosymra is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

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Tosymra, Access Pathways, Platinum Pass and Do More Good are trademarks of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC.

References

1. Tosymra [package insert]. Maple Grove, MN: Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC: 2019.

2. Mathew NT, et al. Dose ranging efficacy and safety of subcutaneous sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine. US Sumatriptan Research Group. Arch Neurol. 1992;49(12):1271-1276.

3. Wendt J, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy and tolerability of a 4-mg dose of subcutaneous sumatriptan for the treatment of acute migraine attacks in adults. Clinical Therapeutics. 2006;28(4):517-526.