Relax, It’s a Blood Test

NFL Icons Coach Bruce Arians, Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle and more partner with Novartis to prioritize early prostate cancer detection
One in eight men will face prostate cancer¹, yet fear and avoidance of digital rectal exams keep men from getting screened²
Novartis launches new awareness initiative timed to Super Bowl LX, driving conversation to make critical health information clearer, accessible and relevant

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Novartis, a leading global innovative medicines company and the official pharmaceutical partner of the NFL, today announced the launch of “Relax, it’s a blood test,” a new national prostate cancer awareness initiative that kicks off with a commercial airing during Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. Early detection leads to a greater than 99% relative 5-year survival rate, yet many men avoid prostate cancer screening, and 60% mistakenly believe that it requires an invasive digital rectal exam (DRE).^1,2,3,4The reality is the first step is a simple prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

“Relax, it’s a blood test” cuts through stigma and addresses the anxieties and misperceptions that can cause men to avoid prostate cancer screening. Novartis has partnered with leading patient advocacy organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Malecare, National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Prostate Health Education Network, ZERO Prostate Cancer, and others to help shape the campaign and drive increased PSA screenings. The initiative aims to demystify the process, empowering men to replace hesitation with action and making early detection easy, accessible, and potentially lifesaving.

“Novartis has a long history of tackling the toughest challenges in healthcare, including prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death for men,” said Victor Bultó, President, US, Novartis. “Early detection of prostate cancer can make a meaningful difference in outcomes, but the fear of a potentially uncomfortable exam causes many of us to avoid making an appointment. By teaming up with the NFL and these celebrated players, we’re empowering men nationwide to take the first step: a simple blood test.”

For the “Relax, it’s a blood test” campaign, Novartis and a roster of eight influential NFL leaders and icons, including Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians, have teamed up to champion prostate cancer screening and early detection. The campaign features current tight ends George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers) and Colby Parkinson (Los Angeles Rams), along with NFL legends Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers), Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons), Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans), and Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers). Each brings a personal connection to prostate cancer and a shared commitment to breaking down stigma, normalizing men’s health conversations, and motivating men to discuss PSA blood tests with their doctors.

“I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007, and early detection saved my life,” said former NFL head coach and prostate cancer survivor, Bruce Arians. “I hear men all the time say they’re hesitant to get screened because of what they think it involves. There is no need to avoid it if you talk to a doctor and learn your risk. You can relax, it’s a blood test.”

Current screening guidelines from leading professional societies recommend most men begin discussing prostate cancer screening with a doctor starting at age 45; for some men in high risk groups, this should start at age 40.*⁶ Yet an estimated 40.3 million age-eligible men in the U.S. have never had a PSA blood test.⁷ Barriers, including lack of access to primary care, persistent misconceptions about screening, and cultural stigma, continue to delay action. These gaps are especially concerning for Black men, who face a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, underscoring the urgency of education and early detection.⁷

Novartis has partnered with the oncology community for over 30 years to advance cancer treatment and help address unmet needs. This initiative combines the strength of the oncology patient advocacy community with the scale of the NFL’s fan base to make prostate cancer screening clearer, accessible and relevant. Educational resources and activations include:

A central online educational hub offering men and those who support them clear, accessible information about prostate cancer screening that cuts through common misconceptions.
Risk assessment tools to help individuals understand key prostate cancer risk factors.
Easy-to-follow guidance on when and how to get tested.
Screening events with NFL teams, including onsite PSA testing, to support early detection and encourage proactive health decisions.
On-Site activation at the Super Bowl Experience to provide educational resources to engaged fans.

“Expanding access to cancer screening, especially in communities where limited resources and persistent misconceptions have hindered life-saving education and care, is essential to changing outcomes,” said Shane Jacobson, CEO of American Cancer Society, the NFL’s Crucial Catch partner. “By working with partners like Novartis to break down barriers to screening, we can help men detect prostate cancer earlier, expand equitable access to care, and fundamentally change what a diagnosis means for patients and their families.”

Find out if a PSA blood test is right for you at RelaxItsABloodTest.com, and follow along on social (@RelaxItsABloodTest). To learn more about Novartis, the NFL partnership and community health impact, please visit: novartis.com/NFL.

Disclaimer
This 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,” “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; or regarding the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests. 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; 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 AG’s 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 Novartis
Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach nearly 300 million people worldwide.

Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us at https://www.novartis.us and connect with us on LinkedIn US, X/Twitter US and Instagram.

References

1.	‌	American Cancer Society. Key statistics for prostate cancer. Updated May 30, 2025. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
2.		American Cancer Society. Press Release. Rectal exam or blood test? 60% of U.S. men ages 45+ have misconceptions about prostate cancer screening, as rates of late-stage diagnosis increase. September 5, 2024. Accessed November 6, 2025. https://pressroom.cancer.org/releases?item=1347
3.		Kratzer TB, Mazzitelli N, Star J, et al. Prostate cancer statistics, 2025. CA Cancer J Clin. 2025;75(6):485-497. doi:10.3322/caac.70028
4.		American Cancer Society. Survival rates for prostate cancer. Updated January 16, 2025. Accessed December 5, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
5.		Average of 2025, 2024 and 2023 Super Bowl viewership. Nielson. https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2025/super-bowl-lix-makes-tv-history-with-over-127-million-viewers/ https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/super-bowl-lviii-draws-123-7-million-average-viewers-largest-tv-audience-on-record/. https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2023/super-bowl-lvii-totals-more-than-113-million-viewers-ranks-second-most-watched-game-ever/=. Accessed December 17, 2025.
6.		Weit JT, Barocas D, Carlsson S, et al. Early detection of prostate cancer. AUA/SUO guideline part 1:prostate cancer screening. J Urol. 20233;210(1)45-53.
7.		Zero Prostate Cancer. Black men and prostate cancer. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://zerocancer.org/black-men

*According to the AUA/SUO Guideline, most people should start screening by age 45 to 50, or 40 to 45 if they are high risk.