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Boy Band Icon and Allergy Sufferer Lance Bass Raises Awareness of First-of-its-Kind Navigation Tool Helping People Breathe Cleaner Air NEW YORK, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegra, a leading brand in allergy relief, announced today the nationwide launch of Allegra Airways, a groundbreaking navigation tool designed to help outdoor enthusiasts find real-time walking, biking, and running routes with cleaner air based on hyperlocal pollen and air pollution levels on a street-by-street basis. Recent studies show that air pollution alters the pollen structure, releasing more allergens and making pollen more "aggressive." 1,2 These allergens can likely penetrate deeper into your airways, provoking more severe allergy symptoms1,2. What's more concerning is that seasonal allergy symptoms are on the rise, with an estimated 50% of the global population expected to have an allergic disease by 2050.3 "As a brand dedicated to empowering allergy sufferers to live their greatness, Allegra is thrilled to introduce Allegra Airways, a tool that goes beyond traditional solutions, and brings true innovation to the category and deepens our engagement with our consumer," said Jordana Barish, US Allegra Brand Head. "By harnessing hyperlocal data on pollen and air pollution levels, Allegra Airways guides people along cleaner routes, making an invisible problem visible and enabling people to pursue their passions outdoors with confidence." Developed in collaboration with Ambee, a renowned climate and environmental data intelligence company, Allegra Airways enables users to input their start and end destinations at and calculate the cleanest routes based on real-time pollen concentrations and air pollution data from Ambee. "We are thrilled to partner with Allegra on this cutting-edge technology that provides a real time solution for allergy sufferers across the U.S.," explained Jaideep Singh Bachher, co-founder of Ambee. To mark the national launch, Allegra is partnering with boy band legend, Lance Bass, an allergy sufferer, LA outdoor enthusiast, and parent, to raise awareness of the increase in worsening allergy symptoms and how Allegra Airways helps him. "I use Allegra Airways to navigate the cleanest routes as I go about my day in LA including my daily walks with my twins," Lance shared. "I have a lot of exciting projects coming up this year and need to stay on my game and not let my allergy symptoms get in the way." Experience Allegra Airways at SXSW Allegra Airways will debut at SXSW, a global event that sits at the intersection of innovation and culture. On March 9th and 10th, purple Allegra-branded pedicabs fitted with Allegra Airways technology will transport visitors around downtown Austin to find the cleanest route based on real-time data from Ambee where pollen concentrations and air pollution are at its lowest. Join the Allegra Airways community to learn more about how air pollution impacts pollen and how Allegra Airways can help you breathe easy. Visit to find your path to clean air. About Allegra Allegra® Allergy is an oral antihistamine available over the counter at full prescription strength to relieve indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and itchy nose or throat. It provides fast, non-drowsy relief that starts in just one hour and stays strong for 24 hours. Allegra can be used by adults and children 2 years of age and older. For more information, visit . Sanofi Consumer Healthcare, US, the makers of Allegra, was recently B Corp certified. This distinction highlights the company's commitment for an inclusive and regenerative economy through its social and environmental impact. Sanofi US CHC believes that healthier people and a healthy planet go hand in hand. About Ambee Ambee is a climate and environmental intelligence technology company that provides real-time and accurate data to empower businesses, individuals and communities to make informed decisions for better outcomes. Media Contact Tia Harris [email protected] (312) 515 – 0518 Annesi-Maesano I;Maesano CN;Biagioni B;D'Amato G;Cecchi L; "Call to Action: Air Pollution, Asthma, and Allergy in the Exposome Era." The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34238507/. D'Amato, G.; Annesi-Maesano, I.; Biagioni, B.; Lancia, A.; Cecchi, L.; D'Ovidio, M.C.; D'Amato, M. New Developments in Climate Change, Air Pollution, Pollen Allergy, and Interaction with SARS-CoV-2. Atmosphere 2023, 14, 848. Cecchi L, D'Amato G, Annesi-Maesano I. External exposome and allergic respiratory and skin diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018;141:846-57. SOURCE Allegra

New York-based startup Ezra recently received FDA clearance for an AI tool it plans to use to launch “the world’s first 30-minute full body MRI scan.” The tool, named Ezra Flash, allows radiologists to acquire MR images at a rate much faster than normal — which results in noisier images that lack sharpness. Ezra Flash’s AI quickly removes the noise and enhances the quality of these images. This reduces the amount of time needed to complete a high-quality scan, which therefore decreases MRI costs, said CEO Emi Gal. Gal founded Ezra in 2018. The company’s name is the Hebrew word for help, which reflects the startup’s mission to help doctors detect cancer earlier, he said. “’I’m personally at high risk for cancer and lost my mother to metastatic colon cancer, so I have a very personal motivation to help people find cancer early,” Gal declared. He pointed out that screening tests exist for only about 50% of cancers — these include cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, uterus, lungs and skin. The other 50%, which include cancers in the pancreas, liver and gallbladder, lack screening procedures. This means that people really only discover they have these cancers once they’re symptomatic — when it’s generally too late. Ezra’s full body MRI screens for cancer in all the organs that radiologists can’t currently screen for. The scan is designed to look for potential cancer and 500 other diseases across 13 organs, Gal explained. “Our radiologists read Ezra Flash-powered scans similarly to the way they would read any MRI scans. The AI works in the background — as soon as an MR scan is acquired, it’s sent to the AI for enhancement. Within just a few minutes the AI returns the enhanced images to our routing system, which then passes it onto the radiologist’s reading list,” he said. The AI tool enables Ezra to create MRI scanning protocols that are “twice as fast,” without compromising on image quality, according to Gal. Ezra will now offer a 30-minute full body scan using Flash that costs $1,350 — an almost 40% reduction in price from the startup’s 60-minute scan — he pointed out. The company trained its AI tool using its proprietary longitudinal MRI dataset, which comprises hundreds of thousands of MR images taken of cancer patients and healthy subjects. “We have multiple terabytes of data across millions of MRI images from over 5,000 individuals. Roughly half of our members have come back for at least a second annual scan, and some of them are on their third or fourth,” Gal explained. This longitudinal dataset allows Ezra to find changes in the body “much earlier” than the startup would be able to by looking at a single data point. The company also continuously gathers downstream data regarding findings from its scans, as well as collects follow-up diagnostic scan and biopsy data when applicable, Gal said. Ezra isn’t the only startup working to make MRI scans quicker and cheaper, though. Last year, Prenuvo raised $70 million in Series A funds for its MRI machine that promises to scan people about three to four times faster than a regular MRI. CGToolbox, Getty Images