Mylan partners with Sarah Jessica Parker on anaphylaxis initiative

HERTFORDSHIRE, England and PITTSBURGH -- Mylan is teaming up with actress and mom Sarah Jessica Parker on a national campaign to educate the public about the serious and unpredictable nature of anaphylaxis.

The company is unveiling an initiative called Anaphylaxis: For Reel. Through this initiative, Mylan, along with Parker and leading advocacy organizations, aims to inspire greater understanding about the risks of anaphylaxis. The campaign encourages young filmmakers and their families to make their voices heard by creating and submitting short, educational films about the realities of managing severe allergies. Parker, whose son has allergies to peanuts and hazelnuts, is joining this initiative to share her story and personal connection to this life-threatening health condition that affects families nationwide.

"With Anaphylaxis: For Reel, I hope to help empower other families affected by severe allergies to share their personal stories," Parker said. "Like every family, we have our own story. We learned about our son's food allergies only after he experienced anaphylaxis – and I still vividly remember how scary that day was for all of us. Since then, we've come to understand just how serious the risks of anaphylaxis are – and how crucial it is to take proactive steps to manage his severe allergies."

Anaphylaxis is a significant health issue in the U.S., with up to 43 million people at risk, including children affected by food allergies, estimated at one in 13. Every six minutes, on average, food-related anaphylaxis sends someone in the U.S. to the emergency department. 

"Anaphylaxis is very unpredictable – symptoms can vary from person to person, and reactions can be mild one time and life-threatening the next," said Dr. Hemant Sharma, clinical chief of the division of allergy and immunology at Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C. "Our goal with this initiative is to have the real-life, everyday stories of those who deal with life-threatening allergies firsthand shine a spotlight on the urgent need to increase education about the importance of being ready to respond if anaphylaxis occurs."

A panel, including Dr. Sharma and leading advocacy organization members, will come together to select up to five films to be featured at a premiere event in New York City this fall with Parker and posted on Anaphylaxis101.com. Films can be submitted on Anaphylaxis101.com through July 11. Films will be evaluated based upon creativity, originality and adherence to submission guidelines.