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Johnny Depp has admitted excessive drinking, drug-taking and trashing hotel rooms, but denied accusations by his former wife Amber Heard that he had been violent towards her in his libel battle against the Sun, which has accused him of being a wife-beater.

Lawyers for Depp said the accusations of violence made by Heard were invented and he strenuously denied that he had ever been violent towards her.

Giving evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Depp repeatedly insisted he had never been a violent individual but was someone who aspired to be a southern gentleman.

On the opening day of a three-week trial, the 57-year-old Hollywood actor disputed accounts given by Heard of domestic violence during their marriage.

The legal action has been brought by Depp after the Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, published an article describing him as a wife-beater based on allegations Heard had made. Heard, 34, who was in court, is due to give evidence for the newspaper in the coming days.

Written submissions from the parties were released as the hearings began. In one witness statement, Depp claimed Heard had repeatedly punched him in the face and partially severed his finger by throwing a vodka bottle.

In another statement, the Pirates of the Caribbean and Edward Scissorhands star described her as a calculating, diagnosed borderline personality and narcissist who had married him to advance her career.

David Sherborne, Depps barrister, said Heard had invented these stories of serious violence. He is not and never has been a wife-beater.

Indeed, he says that it was Ms Heard who was the one who started physical fights, who punched or hit him (and there was little he could really do to stop this); she was the abuser, not him.

In a statement Depp also said that he had decided to divorce Heard after she or possibly one of her friends defecated in their marital bed, and she dismissed it as a harmless prank. He said it was the final straw in their deteriorating marriage.

A statement submitted by News Group newspapers, the publishers of the Sun, said it would demonstrate that the description of Mr Depp as a wife-beater is entirely accurate and truthful.

It added: The sting of the articles is correct namely that [Depp] beat his wife Amber Heard causing her to suffer significant injury and on occasion leading to her fearing for her life.

The paper said Heard was forging her own way in the acting profession and was not content to play the role of a supplicant consort. As a result of her having her own career, disputes between the two increasingly arose where Ms Heards professional life clashed with Mr Depps desire to dominate the relationship.

After Depp entered the witness box, the accusations and counter-accusations intensified. The hearing was shown a short clip filmed by Heard on a mobile phone that appeared to show Depp drinking wine early in the day and smashing bottles or glass in their kitchen.

At one stage Depp admitted he had been spending more than $30,000 (24,000) a month on wine before he went into rehab. But, he added, Yes, I drank to excess but drinking to great excess doesnt mean that you are out of control Violence is not something I go looking for.

He had avoided confrontation in his relationship with Heard, he recalled. Whenever these situations would escalate, I would try and go to my own corner. I wanted to separate before things got out of hand.

Questioned about drug use by Sasha Wass QC, for the Sun, Depp said he had first started taking his mothers nerve pills at the age of 11. He stood by an earlier magazine interview he had given in which he said: I did every kind of drugs there were by the age of 14.

He denied that he had ever indulged in destructive behaviour. He had taken drugs initially, he said, because it was the only thing I found to numb the pain. He had not taken ketamine but agreed he had used cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, mushrooms and cannabis.

Wass suggested Depp was someone who often expressed his anger by trashing hotel rooms. She took him through one incident when he was said to have inflicted almost $10,000 worth of damage on a New York hotel room.

I dont know the exact amount of damage, Depp answered. I made a few dents. Yes. It had been the culmination of a particularly bad couple of days, he said, because he had been screwed over by a friend.

I was angry, he added. That didnt mean I had an anger problem. On that occasion I chose to express my anger. He denied that it had been because he had quarrelled with a girlfriend.

His earlier relationship with actor Ellen Barkin was also examined by Wass. She accused him in a statement of throwing a bottle in her direction.

Depp replied: Miss Barkins statement about what she believed happened is not what happened. I dont want to call anyone a liar but I can tell you that never happened.

Asked about his view of himself, Depp occasionally paused for thought and volunteered personal reflections. When ones aspiration is to be a great gentleman, to be a great southern gentleman, that doesnt exclude you from the family of humans who have moments of frustration, he stated in one answer.

Heards spokesperson said in a statement outside court before the trial: Amber was never asked for these proceedings to take place. Amber obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Depp back in 2016 and has tried to move on with her life.

It is Johnny Depp who brought these proceedings against a British newspaper and has dragged her to the UK courts to give evidence on some of the most distressing moments of her life.

The hearing continues.

Originally posted here:
Johnny Depp admits heavy drinking but denies abuse of Amber Heard - The Guardian

While managing the ongoing response to an outbreak of one sometimes-fatal virus state officials are gearing up for an active summer season for another one, but the messaging to keep residents safe shares many similarities.

Whether it's the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 or the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus that appears primed for an active summer, the main message from Gov. Charlie Baker, Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel and others Tuesday was that it's up to each individual to take appropriate steps to limit their own risk of exposure.

"The key to our message is about taking personal protective measures," Bharel said at a press conference in Plymouth. She added, "We've all been spending a lot of time indoors related to COVID-19 and we want the residents of Massachusetts to go outside and enjoy outdoor time with their families. But just like we asked you to take precautions against the other virus that causes COVID, we ask you to take enhanced precautions against EEE so that we can protect ourselves and continue to enjoy the outdoors."

Bharel said people across Massachusetts, not just areas that commonly see cases of EEE, should use mosquito repellents with an EPA-registered active ingredient, wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors to reduce exposed skin, and stay aware of mosquito activity in the community.

And by the end of this week, legislation granting the administration new powers to run a statewide mosquito control response when the threat of EEE or other mosquito-related diseases is high could be one step closer to the governor's desk, House Speaker Robert DeLeo's office said.

The state is launching a public awareness campaign to remind people of the threat of EEE and the ways to stay safe during mosquito season, and will post the messages on digital billboards, on social media and streaming services, and on television, Bharel said. A new website, http://www.mass.gov/mosquitoesandticks, includes statewide EEE and West Nile virus risk maps.

Last year was the "most active year since the 1950s" for EEE in Massachusetts, with 12 human cases of EEE and six deaths, Bharel said. The disease can affect people of all ages and is generally spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

Outbreaks of EEE tend to extend themselves over two or three years, officials said Tuesday, so the state began last fall to prepare for this summer's mosquito season. The Department of Public Health has detected the virus in two mosquitoes already in 2020, which Bharel said is the earliest the virus has been identified here in 20 years. No human or animal cases have been reported yet this year.

Last year's EEE activity also showed that EEE is not contained to the typical clusters in Bristol and Plymouth counties, where certain swamps that serve as mosquito breeding grounds are more prevalent. The two EEE-infected mosquitoes reported by DPH already this year came from Orange and Wendell, areas into which the state had recently expanded its surveillance trap program.

"Part of this is about dealing with the fact that as the virus -- not COVID -- as the EEE virus migrates a bit as birds and mosquitoes migrate, it's important that we think a little more about this as a statewide issue and not so much on the particular areas where we've always focused on it where historically have been the places where we've typically seen the biggest outbreaks associated with EEE," Baker said Tuesday.

In addition to reminding people to protect themselves from EEE, Tuesday's press conference at the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project served as a chance for the governor to press lawmakers to act on legislation he filed in April to modernize the state's approach to combating mosquito-borne illnesses like EEE and West Nile virus.

When he filed his bill, Baker wrote that the "current framework for mosquito control dates to the 1970s and does not allow for the sort of coordinated statewide efforts that are necessary to prevent and combat these viruses and the mosquitoes that carry them," saying that many cities and towns lack entities engaged in mosquito control and are not part of larger control projects.

The Senate approved a mosquito control bill (S 2757) based on Baker's legislation to give the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board new powers to fight mosquito-borne illnesses when the state Department of Public Health determines there is an elevated risk.

"The legislation that we filed with the Legislature which I do anticipate and hope will find its way through the Legislature shortly and get to our desk will allow the experts at the Department of Public Health, and the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board to work together proactively to protect public health across the commonwealth," Baker said. "When DPH determines that there is an elevated risk, the experts in mosquito control at the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board may take necessary actions to mitigate that risk."

Baker has good reason to anticipate that the bill will make its way through the Legislature soon. DeLeo's office told the News Service on Tuesday that the speaker told the governor last week that the House intends to take up the mosquito control bill this week the House is planning a formal session for Thursday and reiterated that plan during a conversation Monday.

Read more:
State, residents urged to be ready for active EEE season - Dorchester Reporter

You look on social media and see jokes about the concept of time, about February 2020 lasting for 36 hours and March lasting for 534 days. Funny, but it really felt that way.

When my students are getting ready to graduate and they start looking at how theyll be compensated, we always chat about three things: money, time and contentment.

Most measures of employment focus on the first one. Money is something we need to survive and I dont discount it. But I also know that its not the only factor in determining whether or not someone is happy. Salary or hourly wages arent the only forms of money either. Aside from good health care, theres retirement to think about, even though its usually the last thing on the minds of traditionally-aged, newly-minted college grads.

In his book, Running Down a Dream, author and podcaster Tim Grahl lays out what he identifies as three primary values that drive our work: Are you pursuing fortune, fame or freedom?

I know what some of you are thinking: Why cant we have all three? Well, those values can certainly be interlaced, and we can claim to have more than one value, but determining what drives us helps us make better choices about our lives.

This concept reminded me of the talks I have with my students.

Fortune? That ones easy. Its all about money. That line from The OJays For The Love Of Money, Money, money, money plays in my mind when I think about fortune as a value. In case you needed an earworm for the day, this song is a good one to have in your head.

Fame is a persons desire to be seen and heard. People who are driven by this are interested in being known and talked about. In their dream scenario, the paparazzi would be waiting outside a Starbucks to snap a picture of them drinking a mochaccino. More importantly, though, fame is about a need some people have to be a participant in the conversation and to express ideas that matter to others.

Freedom is about time. More specifically, its about controlling your own time. But during the pandemic, control and time have been odd concepts to define.

Before the pandemic, I would have easily chosen freedom as my biggest value. I know for a fact Im not motivated by fortune. I couldnt even tell you my current salary; Id need to look it up.

Fame? I suppose fame is a little bit of an influence in my value set. I work as a teacher-scholar, spending a large amount of time reading and processing ideas. Then I get to share those ideas with the students I teach. So, following Grahls definition of fame, Im participating in the conversation, but I dont really crave a large audience.

As an introvert, I realize there would be a hefty price to pay if I gained true fame. Payments would likely be extracted in the form of personal freedom. But I dont engage in ideas because I want fame, I do so because Im curious and my brain is hungry. It feels more like an introspective pursuit than this definition of fame would indicate.

This leaves freedom. As I noted earlier, freedom is such a strange value to quantify right now. Time as a form of freedom has lost some of its meaning during the pandemic. Days used to be structured and the freedom of teaching and research was that I didnt have to account for each minute. Its one of the main reasons I spent 10 years on my education. Having a flexible schedule is important to me.

Freedom. I loved this. I owned this. I valued this. I controlled this. Well, OK, I mostly controlled this. Still, the freedom of time was one of the few concepts over which I felt I still had a modicum of control. Even during the pandemic, I havent given this up.

Im not alone. Now, more than ever, other people are feeling freer because theyre working remotely. But while we have more freedom, time has become an elusive concept. To compare it to money, it would be like eliminating cash and moving to the barter system.

The new reality of time is old fashioned, or futuristic, or just somehow off. How do you measure the value of something that seems to have lost its constant?

What this has to do with The Earnheardts with my husband and our children is directly connected to those conversations I have with my students about the values of work while maintaining a healthy work-life balance (which I understand is different for everyone).

Our four children, although separated in ages by eight years, are very familiar with the concepts of fortune and fame. They think they know what a lot of money is, which is a weird byproduct of their concept of fame YouTube stardom.

YouTube stars are rich! they tell us. Not sure theyve ever offered much proof beyond a few oddball screen names (e.g. Is PewDiePie a YouTube star? I forget). So, of course, Adam and I use this as an opportunity to explain how the workforce functions as part of society and also to urge our children to think about what they value.

Freedom, I fear, is one well struggle with for years to come both during the pandemic and in the time that follows. This is because, like the rest of us, our children have had the concept of freedom and time turned upside down.

You look on social media and see jokes about the concept of time, about February 2020 lasting for 36 hours and March lasting for 534 days. Funny, but it really felt that way. There are memes where people make up months like Octebuary. Its fun to joke, but like all humor, we laugh because we relate to its real and sometimes painful truth.

Depending on what you decide to do, days can be over before you know it or you can look at the clock thinking its 10 p.m., but its only 5 oclock p.m. (or is it a.m.?). The Coronavirus lockdown has messed up our internal clocks and calendars. And, as someone who values time, I dont know how to adapt let alone teach my children about it.

In the early days, we held on to the daily rituals that created structure, but when it became apparent we were going to be isolated for the long haul, we started to relax. Thats when time really started to get weird.

We dont force our kids to wake up at a certain time every morning or tell them when to go to bed every night. Their little internal alarm clocks do this for them. They awake and go to sleep at almost the same time each day anyway. Much like our ancient ancestors, were letting a more natural state of being determine our routines.

It makes me wonder how well all react, what well keep and what well ditch, when life returns to normal, when we really have to start paying attention to clocks again. Will the kids value freedom because theyve had more of a chance to live as they want? Or, is having a set schedule better for all of us as individuals? As a family? Hell, as a society?

I dont know the answers yet, but I may have an idea somewhere around 700:00 a.m. on the 449th day of Janember.

Mary Beth Earnheardt is director of the Anderson Program in Journalism at Youngstown State University. You can follow her on Twitter at @mbexoxo.

Link:
The Earnheardts | The concept of time during a pandemic - Mahoning Matters

Wireless backhaul can accelerate deployment of 5G networks while awaiting the necessary fiber

What you need to know:

SOLVANG, Calif., July 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon and Ericsson recently completed a proof-of-concept trial using new Integrated Access Backhaul technology to deploy Verizons 5G Ultra Wideband service, eliminating the need to wait for fiber installations. Fiber-optic cables, which serve as the circulatory system of a network to transfer data between cell sites and the networks core, are critical in wireless networks, and Verizon has bet big on fiber. In fact, Verizon has invested billions of dollars acquiring fiber assets and building out our multi-purpose fiber footprint. Still, working through local regulations and licensing, and then subsequently installing fiber can have very long lead times. So Verizon and Ericsson engineers have found an alternative way of using millimeter wave spectrum for backhaul to accelerate deployment of 5G networks while awaiting the necessary fiber deployment.

Fiber is the ideal connection between our network facilities. It carries a ton of data, is reliable, and has a long roadmap ahead as far as technological advancements. It is essential. However, this new IAB technology allows us to deploy 5G service more quickly and then fill in the essential fiber at a later time, said Bill Stone, Vice President of Planning for Verizon.

IAB works by using airlink connections over mmWave spectrum instead of a fiber connection to send data throughout the network. By dynamically allocating a portion of bandwidth for consumers to send their data from their device to the cell tower, and using another portion for that data to be sent from the cell tower back to the core of the network, the need for fiber initially can be circumvented. Then, when fiber is installed at that location, the data being sent back to the rest of the network can be switched over to the fiber and the bandwidth can be redistributed for more capacity for customers.

Ericssons microwave and fiber mobile transport solutions are an important enabler for 5G services, said Ulf Forssen, Head of Standards & Technology, Development Unit Networks, Ericsson. This IAB proof of concept demonstrates a complementary solution, enabling faster deployment of the high-quality, high-performance 5G transport needed in a 5G world.

New resources for first responders

In addition to bringing new cell sites on air more efficiently, this proof-of-concept trial showed that mobile cell sites can also be connected using IAB. This becomes a critical asset for first responders and public safety agencies who need temporary cell coverage for search and rescue operations, disaster recovery efforts or other emergency situations. Verizon owns a fleet of mobile cell sites which are regularly deployed for these situations. However, until recently they have required a fiber connection to carry data, restricting where they can be deployed, or a satellite connection, which are limited and costly. Now, with IAB technology, coupled with portable generators for power, cell sites can be deployed more rapidly and to a wider range of locations.

When our first responders need us, we will be there with the resources they need to accomplish their mission critical work, said Stone. IAB technology gives us many more options to ensure communications resources are where our first responders need them anytime they call on us.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the worlds leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $131.9 billion in 2019. The company offers voice, data and video services and solutions on its award winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

VERIZONS ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at http://www.verizon.com/about/news/. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit http://www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who provide customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK 222.6 billion (USD 24.5 billion). The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on NASDAQ in New York. Read more on http://www.ericsson.com.

Media contacts: Karen SchulzKaren.Schulz@Verizonwireless.com864.561.1527

Jannie TongJannie.Tong@Ericsson.com214.415.0815

Originally posted here:
Deploying the 5G Ultra Wideband Network just got a little easier - GlobeNewswire

Basel, July 7, 2020 Novartis today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Enerzair Breezhaler (QVM149; indacaterol acetate, glycopyrronium bromide and mometasone furoate [IND/GLY/MF]) as a maintenance treatment of asthma in adult patients not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of a longacting beta2agonist (LABA) and a high-dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) who experienced one or more asthma exacerbations in the previous year. Once-daily Enerzair Breezhaler is the first LABA/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/ICS fixed-dose combination available in the EU for these patients. The approval also includes an optional digital companion with sensor and app that provides inhalation confirmation, medication reminders and access to objective data to better support therapeutic decisions. The EC decision is applicable to all 27 European Union member states as well as the UK, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

Novartis is working to reimagine medicine for people with uncontrolled asthma, who find it a challenge to achieve effective symptom and exacerbation control, said Rod Wooten, Head of Global Marketing, Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The approval of Enerzair Breezhaler with sensor and app in the EU is an example of our commitment to utilize data and digital offerings to make asthma control an achievable goal for patients and physicians.

Enerzair Breezhaler is provided in a transparent capsule that allows patients to see that they have taken their medication and will be administered via the dose-confirming Breezhaler device, which enables once-daily inhalation using a single inhaler. The digital companion includes a sensor that attaches to the Breezhaler device and can be linked to the Propeller Health smartphone app, providing patients with inhalation confirmation, medication reminders and access to objective data that can be shared with their physician in order to help them make better therapeutic decisions.

Today, over 45% of asthma patients at GINA Steps 4 and 5 remain uncontrolled, demonstrating the need for new treatments, delivery approaches and patient support to ensure that medication is taken correctly and treatment goals are reached, said Professor David Price, Chair of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, University of Aberdeen. Once-daily Enerzair Breezhaler plus a digital companion could help to facilitate greater collaborative disease management between physicians and patients in the EU whose asthma remains uncontrolled, despite LABA/ICS treatment.

The EC approval is based on robust efficacy and safety data from over 3,000 asthma patients in the Phase III IRIDIUM study, in which once-daily Enerzair Breezhaler was superior to once-daily Atectura Breezhaler (QMF149; IND/MF) in improving the lung function of patients whose asthma is uncontrolled with LABA/ICS standard-of-care treatment2. In the IRIDIUM study, the key secondary endpoint was improvement in the Asthma Control Questionnaire score (ACQ-7) for Enerzair Breezhaler versus Atectura Breezhaler2. Both treatments delivered clinically meaningful improvements in this measure of symptoms from baseline at Week 26, but the key secondary endpoint was not met2. Among other secondary analyses, IRIDIUM explored asthma exacerbation rates, where statistically significant reductions were observed in moderate-to-severe and severe asthma exacerbation rates with Enerzair Breezhaler compared with an established LABA/ICS standard-of-care (twice-daily salmeterol xinafoate/fluticasone propionate [Sal/Flu])2. Safety findings were consistent with the known safety profiles of the monocomponents2.

Once-daily Enerzair Breezhaler has been approved in Japan and Canada. Once-daily Atectura Breezhaler has been approved in the EU as a maintenance treatment of asthma for adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older not adequately controlled with ICS and inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists (SABA)5, and in Canada and Japan. Further regulatory reviews for Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler are currently underway in multiple countries including Switzerland.

In keeping with the Novartis commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our asthma combinations, Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler will both be available in the hydrofluoroalkane/chlorofluorocarbon (HFA/CFC)-free Breezhaler device. Novartis aims to drive sustainability and has set ambitious targets to minimize its impact on climate, waste and water, including targets to become carbon neutral in company operations by 2025.

About Uncontrolled Asthma Asthma affects an estimated 358 million people worldwide and can cause a significant personal, health and financial burden when not adequately controlled3,4. Despite current therapy, over 40% of patients with asthma at Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Step 3, and over 45% at GINA Steps 4 and 5 remain uncontrolled6,7. Patients with uncontrolled asthma may downplay or underestimate the severity of their disease and are at a higher risk of exacerbation, hospitalization or death8-10. Barriers, such as less than optimal adherence, incorrect inhaler technique, treatment mismatch, safety issues with oral corticosteroids and ineligibility for biologics, have created an unmet medical need in asthma11-14.

*About Enerzair Breezhaler (IND/GLY/MF) in the EUThe EC approved high-dose Enerzair Breezhaler (IND/GLY/MF) 150/50/160 g once-daily as a maintenance treatment of asthma in adult patients not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of a longacting beta2agonist (LABA) and a high-dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) who experienced one or more asthma exacerbations in the previous year1. This formulation combines the bronchodilation of indacaterol acetate (a LABA) and glycopyrronium bromide (a LAMA) with mometasone furoate (ICS) in a precise once-daily formulation, delivered via the dose-confirming Breezhaler device. Glycopyrronium bromide certain use and formulation intellectual property were exclusively licensed to Novartis in April 2005 by Sosei Heptares and Vectura. Mometasone furoate is exclusively licensed to Novartis from a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, for use in IND/GLY/MF (worldwide excluding the US).

Novartis developed the optional digital companion in collaboration with Propeller Health, which includes the Propeller Health app and sensor custom-built for the Breezhaler device. The sensor is a CE marked Medical Device, designed and licensed to Novartis for use with the Breezhaler inhaler worldwide. The sensor includes a microchip, a microphone, Bluetooth capabilities, an antenna and a battery. The sensor does not alter the drug delivery characteristics of the Breezhaler inhaler itself but produces a recording of each administered dose. Based on the patients recorded medication usage, personalized content is presented within the app to help the patient better self-manage their asthma.

About the PLATINUM Clinical Development ProgramThe PLATINUM program, having enrolled over 7,500 patients worldwide, is the Novartis Phase III/IIIb clinical development program supporting the development of Enerzair Breezhaler (IND/GLY/MF) and Atectura Breezhaler (IND/MF). It includes four studies: the QUARTZ study, which compared a low-dose of Atectura Breezhaler with MF alone; the PALLADIUM study, which compared Atectura Breezhaler with MF and salmeterol xinafoate/fluticasone propionate (Sal/Flu); the IRIDIUM study, which compared Enerzair Breezhaler with Atectura Breezhaler and Sal/Flu; and the ARGON study, which compared Enerzair Breezhaler with a free combination of Sal/Flu plus tiotropium (Tio).

About the IRIDIUM study2IRIDIUM was a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study, designed to compare the efficacy and safety of Enerzair Breezhaler (IND/GLY/MF) with Atectura Breezhaler (IND/MF) in patients with asthma.

The purpose of the trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two different doses of Enerzair Breezhaler (high: 150/50/160 g and medium:150/50/80 g), versus two corresponding Atectura Breezhaler doses (high: 150/320 g and medium: 150/160 g) in patients with uncontrolled asthma, as determined by pulmonary function testing and effects on asthma control.

All patients were required to be symptomatic at screening and to have one or more exacerbations in the previous year, despite being on treatment with medium or high stable doses of LABA/ICS. Approximately 3,092 male and female adult patients with asthma were randomized 1:1:1:1:1 (approximately 618 patients in each of the treatment groups) to receive either:

The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate superiority of both high-dose Enerzair Breezhaler versus high-dose Atectura Breezhaler and medium-dose Enerzair Breezhaler versus medium-dose Atectura Breezhaler, all delivered once-daily, in improving trough FEV1 (volume of air that can be forced out in the first second of expiration approximately 24 hours post-administration of study drug) after 26 weeks of treatment in patients with asthma.

The key secondary objective was to demonstrate the superiority of both doses of Enerzair Breezhaler versus respective doses of Atectura Breezhaler, in improving Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-7) score after 26 weeks of treatment in patients with asthma. Other secondary analyses also included reduction of exacerbation rate, comparing high-dose Enerzair Breezhaler with high-dose Atectura Breezhaler and medium-dose Enerzair Breezhaler with medium-dose Atectura Breezhaler. Secondary analyses included efficacy comparisons for both doses of Enerzair Breezhaler compared with Sal/Flu (50/500 g).

DisclaimerThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as potential, can, will, plan, may, could, would, expect, anticipate, seek, look forward, believe, committed, investigational, pipeline, launch, or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AGs current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About NovartisNovartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more athttps://www.novartis.com.

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References1 Enerzair Breezhaler (indacaterol acetate, glycopyrronium bromide and mometasone furoate [IND/GLY/MF]) SmPC.2 Data on file3 GBD Chronic Respiratory Disease Collaborators. Global, regional, and national deaths, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years, and years lived with disability for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Lancet Resp Med; 2017;5(9)691-706.4 AAFA. My Life With Asthma Survey Findings Report. Available at: https://www.aafa.org/media/1684/my-life-with-asthma-in-2017-survey-findings-report.pdf. Last accessed July 2020. 5 European Commission. Union Register of medicinal products for human use - Atectura Breezhaler. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/community-register/html/h1439.htm. Last accessed July 2020.6 Chung KF et al. International ERS/ATS guidelines on definition, evaluation and treatment of severe asthma. Eur Respir J 2014;43(2):343-73.7 Fang J et al. Demographic, clinical characteristics and control status of pediatric, adolescent, and adult asthma patients by GINA Step in a US longitudinal cohort. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2018;197:A19038 Peters SP et al. Uncontrolled asthma: a review of the prevalence, disease burden and options for treatment. Respir Med 2006;100(7):1139-1151.9 Katsaounou P et al. Still Fighting for Breath: a patient survey of the challenges and impact of severe asthma. ERJ Open Res 2018;4(4):00076-2018.10 Price D et al. Asthma control and management in 8,000 European patients: the REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experience (REALISE) survey. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2014;24:14009.11 Price D, et al. Adverse outcomes from initiation of systemic corticosteroids for asthma: long-term observational study. J Asthma Allergy 2018;11:193-204.12 Albers FC et al. Biologic treatment eligibility for real-world patients with severe asthma: The IDEAL study. J Asthma 2018;55(2):152-160.13 Bourdin A, Halimi L. et al. Adherence in Severe Asthma. Clin Exp Allergy 2012;42(11):1566-74.14 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Pocket guide for asthma management and prevention. Available at: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GINA-2019-main-Pocket-Guide-wms.pdf Last accessed July 2020.

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Novartis receives EC approval for Enerzair Breezhaler, including the first digital companion (sensor and app) that can be prescribed alongside a...