PhRMA, U.S. Biopharma Companies Partner For Arthritis Treatment R&D

U.S. biopharmaceutical research companies currently have 92 innovative new medicines either in clinical trials or under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a new report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The new meds in development include 55 for rheumatoid arthritis, 15 for musculoskeletal pain, 10 for osteoarthritis, and 7 for psoriatic arthritis.

According to the report, the drugs in development include treatments for:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

To build on this growth, PhRMA, along with 10 biopharmaceutical companies, a number of nonprofit disease foundations,  and the National Institutes of Health have partnered to “explore promising new technologies together and to address tough scientific problems that may lead to advances against our most costly and challenging diseases through the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP),” PhRMA says.

There is no doubt the need for these arthritis treatments are great. According to statistics from the Arthritis Foundation, the disease is the most common cause of disability and is responsible for 44 million outpatient doctor visits and about one million hospitalizations every year in the U.S. Along with the pain and suffering of patients, the economic burden to the American economy is significant, chalking up nearly $128 billion annually in both direct and indirect medical costs. These numbers can only be expected to increase, as projections say 25 percent of the U.S. adult population will suffer from arthritis by the year 2030. There are currently 52 million people affected by arthritis in the U.S.

That’s why PhRMA President and CEO John J. Castellani is pleased with the large number of medicines in the pipeline, saying they “offer tremendous hope for patients looking for new solutions to one of the most common chronic health conditions.”

These new partnerships will facilitate the ability to prevent, manage, and treat arthritis through the discovery and availability of new innovative medicines. The hope is to not only reduce the economic burdens of arthritis going forward, but more importantly to help decrease pain and suffering for those who have it.