American actor Henry Winkler, perhaps best known as Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli in the American 1970s and ’80s sitcom Happy Days, is partnering with pharmaceutical company Apellis to raise awareness of geographic atrophy (GA).
Winkler, 77, will be the face of the ‘GA Won’t Wait’ campaign encouraging the over-60s to monitor and discuss vision changes with an eye doctor. Motivated by a personal connection to the disease (his father-in-law, Ed, was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration), Winkler decided to partner with Apellis.
“I saw first-hand how profoundly isolating vision loss may be for older adults,” he said. “Though I am now around the same age as Ed when his vision started to decline, I have no plans to slow down. I am so passionate about prioritising my eye health that I would carry my car to the eye doctor if I started to notice a change in my vision. That’s how on top of it you have to be.”
Apellis is rolling out the campaign after winning approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its GA drug Syfovre (pegcetacoplan), making it the only FDA-approved treatment for the disease.
