Bellamy Young is Moving Past Stigma as She Speaks Candidly about Her Father's Struggle with Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis and Resulting Hepatic Encephalopathy

• 80% of people with chronic liver disease develop some form of HE
• 9 in 10 HE patient caregivers report "they did not realize what they were in for at the time of diagnosis"
• UnderstandingHE.com provides educational tools and resources to support patients and caregivers

LAVAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2023 / Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) and its gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, today announced its partnership with award-winning actor Bellamy Young, who is speaking out to help educate people who are impacted by hepatic encephalopathy (HE), caused by cirrhosis. Bellamy wants those affected to know they are not alone and to help them overcome stigma that can interfere with disease education.

Timed with the kickoff of liver awareness month, Bellamy is sharing her personal experience of living with a father who was suffering from HE. Bellamy's goal is to help educate patients, families and caregivers to better understand the disease and is encouraging people to visit UnderstandingHE.com, where they can access educational tools including an interactive symptom tracker and discussion guides that patients and caregivers can use to facilitate a conversation with their doctors and others.

"Hepatic encephalopathy is an insidious disease that can be extremely difficult for patients and families to deal with on their own. After my father was diagnosed with HE, we could never have expected the impact it would have on his cognition and personality, we weren't prepared for what was to come. I don't want other families to experience the isolation that we felt. I want people who are faced with an HE diagnosis and their loved ones to know more about the disease and, importantly, that they are not alone," said Bellamy.

"Through the patient and caregiver stories on UnderstandingHE.com, we've seen the power of shared experience in fostering education. With the rate of cirrhosis-related complications on the rise, having the strength and authenticity of a partner like Bellamy will help patients and their loved ones to move past stigma and lead to patients having important conversations with their health care providers about the disease and how to manage it," said Nicola Kayel, Senior Vice President, GI Marketing, Salix.

About Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis:

While many associate liver disease with alcohol use, the fact is that liver disease can have various causes and affects as many as 30 million people in the United States. When liver disease progresses into chronic liver disease, which affects more than 5 million Americans, it commonly falls into four categories:

• Alcohol related liver disease - Resulting from drinking too much alcohol
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - Often caused by obesity, insulin resistance or imbalance of lipids in the blood
• Hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver caused by viruses (most commonly classified as A, B, or C)
• Liver Cancer - When cells in the liver grow out of control

Living with liver disease, or a liver injury, for a long time can lead to cirrhosis - a condition when scar tissue replaces healthy tissue. As cirrhosis becomes worse, the liver has less healthy tissue, which is needed to help your body process food and nutrients into energy and to remove harmful toxins. As the liver damage gets worse, it can no longer remove toxins from the blood and HE symptoms may develop.

About Hepatic Encephalopathy:

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complication of cirrhosis. One of the important functions of the liver is to clean the blood. When the liver is damaged, it can no longer properly clean toxins (like ammonia) from the blood. This buildup of toxins can reach the brain, potentially causing HE and worsening brain function. Early HE symptoms can start slowly and may go unnoticed. Symptoms of HE can be both physical and mental. Medications and appropriate lifestyle management, with the help of a doctor, may help manage the disease.

It is projected that as many as four out of five people with cirrhosis may eventually develop some form of HE. The disease is often misdiagnosed, or diagnosed too late, and can be associated with increased mortality rates. When asked, a majority of HE patients and HE caregivers say that they were not able to find all the information they need, and 9 in 10 of HE caregivers said that they did not realize what they were in for, and most did not know that HE can progress.

About Salix

Salix Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the management and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For more than 30 years, Salix has licensed, developed and marketed innovative products to improve patients' lives and arm health care providers with life-changing solutions for many chronic and debilitating conditions. Salix currently markets its product line to U.S. health care providers through an expanded sales force that focuses on gastroenterology, hepatology, pain specialists and primary care. Salix is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Bausch Health

Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX:BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, international pharmaceuticals and eye health, through our controlling interest in Bausch + Lomb. With our leading durable brands, we are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE: Bausch Health Companies Inc.