rheumatic diseases

Redefining immunology care: our pledge to patients and the healthcare community

Vandenbruaene Nathalie — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:15:38 +0000

Redefining immunology care: our pledge to patients and the healthcare community

Camille Lee, U.S. Immunology

Vandenbruaene … Mon 23/09/2024 - 10:15

Throughout my career and now in my role as head of U.S. Immunology at ��ֳ�, the stories I hear from patients inspire my work each day. At ��ֳ�, we are dedicated to developing solutions for people living with chronic immune-mediated diseases, including psoriatic arthritis (PsA)—which can affect about 30 percent of people living with psoriasis—as well as lesser-known forms of arthritis like non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

At the heart of our commitment to addressing gaps in care lies innovation. ��ֳ� is proud to be advancing care with a new solution now available for healthcare providers and their patients.

We know severe rheumatic diseases not only affect physical health but can also impact a person’s ability to take part in everyday activities such as participating in hobbies and recreational activities, socializing with loved ones, and completing household chores. People living with rheumatic diseases often struggle to find long-term disease management solutions that work for them.

That’s why our focus in Immunology at ��ֳ� is developing and providing treatments so that people living with rheumatic or dermatologic diseases, particularly those who have struggled with treatment options, can strive to live their best lives, tackling the activities that once felt like a burden.

��ֳ� is also leading the way in setting higher standards for treatments across immunology. In our PsA clinical trials, we used the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)50 endpoint, which signifies a 50% improvement in symptoms and disease, as a measure of success. This endpoint is more rigorous than the more commonly used ACR20, the 20% improvement marker. By setting this higher standard, we prioritize developing medicines that make a significant impact on patient health.

As our pipeline grows, our approach will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the patient communities we aim to serve. I am confident our bold and exciting research programs will help change the future of immunology care within the next decade.

solutions

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Leading in healthcare innovation: FASTRAX is on a mission to transform the rheumatic disease journey

Andrea_Puletto — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:30:45 +0000

Leading in healthcare innovation: FASTRAX is on a mission to transform the rheumatic disease journey

Evgueni Ivanov, Digital Care Transformation Immunology

Andrea_Puletto Mon 08/07/2024 - 11:30

People living with chronic diseases need holistic, sustainable solutions that go beyond treatment. They need care that seamlessly integrates into their lives and empowers them to live the lives they choose.

At ��ֳ�, we’re committed to elevate the standard of care by going beyond the science. Harnessing cutting-edge technology, novel approaches, and close stakeholder collaboration allows us to address specific unmet needs, personalize treatment opportunities, and better support patients where they need it most.

Our FASTRAX program is an example of this commitment, where we have leveraged our expertise in rheumatology to solve an urgent unmet need. Launched in 2021, FASTRAX addresses the critical issue of delayed diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a type of chronic inflammatory arthritis in the lower back. axSpA is often mistaken as generic back pain, which causes patients to remain undiagnosed and untreated for several years.

Why is a timely diagnosis of axSpA so critical?

Lower back pain (LBP) is incredibly common, affecting over 80% of individuals at some point in their lives. For most, the root cause is mechanical, with many cases resolving within a few months. However, approximately 19% of the general population will endure persistent discomfort lasting beyond three months. Among this group, approximately 5% will be diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Patients may start experiencing generic back pain in their mid-20s but could take on average 9 years to get their diagnosis.

The path to an axSpA diagnosis is often long. Symptoms are frequently missed or misinterpreted, and patients are passed between healthcare providers without answers or specialised treatment. As time passes, their symptoms become more severe, potentially leading to irreversible damage to their spine and joints. But the impact of axSpA goes beyond physical pain; the burden of living with chronic inflammatory arthritis for years can also take a toll on mental and emotional well-being, affecting every aspect of the lives of those waiting for a diagnosis.

Without distinct features, biomarkers or diagnostic criteria, solving the delay in axSpA diagnosis is complex, with no silver-bullet solution. We believe we are uniquely positioned to address this by bringing together our in-house expertise and connecting different healthcare system stakeholders, including partnering with rheumatology experts, patient organizations and technology providers.

Transforming the axSpA patient journey

With FASTRAX, our ambition is to create a seamless patient and healthcare professional experience, from the first signs of symptoms to appropriate referral and timely diagnosis. As the patient journey is unique to each country, we have set up several initiatives to target specific opportunities and tailored our approach to individual healthcare systems:

In France and the US, we are developing tools to automatically identify patients with potential inflammatory back pain in primary care and to accelerate their assessment and referral to rheumatologists.
In Canada, we are piloting an interdisciplinary model of care to streamline the referral pathways. The aim is to accelerate the assessment of newly referred patients with back pain for inflammatory conditions.
In the UK, we’re supporting National Health Service (NHS) hospitals with the latest technology platforms to streamline the management of existing patient cohorts and implement Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) mandates. This initiative aims to reduce waiting times and increase capacity in rheumatology clinics.

Professor Raj Sengupta, Consultant Rheumatologist, The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath: “Through FASTRAX, we will launch a platform providing patients with self-management tools and streamlining communication through PIFU. This innovative approach optimizes clinic resources and prioritizes urgent cases, ultimately improving the care we provide to our patients by giving us access to all relevant data in one place.”

Some of our innovation efforts have already received public recognition. Our Canadian initiative was featured in the “Health Care Reimagined: The future of health in Canada” report. As remarked by Lionel Houle, Head of Immunology Canada at ��ֳ�, “This program marks a strategic commitment by ��ֳ� to revolutionize patient care and support rheumatologists.”

With the upcoming launch of these initiatives in clinical practice, FASTRAX is poised to make a significant impact on the lives of those living with axSpA. But our ambitions extend far beyond this initial success. We are committed to expanding the reach of these solutions nationally and internationally, building on our expertise in axSpA to address unmet needs across immunology and neurology. Stay tuned for new developments in the coming months as we aim to continue to transform the standard of care in chronic diseases.

Stay up to date with the latest FASTRAX program developments, and ��ֳ�’s other digital care transformation initiatives, here: Digital Care Transformation | ��ֳ�.

innovation

innovation rheumatology rheumatic diseases

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��ֳ� Recognizes World Arthritis Day 2020

eCMSadmin — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 08:30:00 +0000

��ֳ� Recognizes World Arthritis Day 2020

Andrea Christopher, Global Communications & Company Reputation

eCMSadmin Mon 12/10/2020 - 10:30

Today we are shining a light on World Arthritis Day in efforts to raise awareness of patients living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as part of ��ֳ�’s ongoing commitment to the rheumatology community.

��ֳ� has been proudly leading the way in connecting innovative science to unmet needs in specific patient populations, such as women of childbearing age and patients with axSpA and PsA. We are committed to providing a transformative experience for these patients.

As we lean into ��ֳ�’s Accelerate & Expand phase, it is our ambition to lead the way in providing holistic solutions that address patient needs at all key milestones in their healthcare journey.

Our innovative research in axSpA and PsA has laid a solid foundation to help us achieve our future vision for meeting the needs of these patients. There is great opportunity to innovate and improve care for patients with axSpA, starting with earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

Additionally, with the launch of the Advantage Hers campaign last month, we are continuing to highlight the unmet needs and unique challenges of women living with rheumatic diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions.

Furthermore, we are empowering and equipping these patients to have informed conversations with their specialist about creating a management plan that is best tailored to their individual needs.

World Arthritis Day, led by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), aims to help people living with RMDs avoid long-term complications by improving education of the condition, promoting early diagnosis and encouraging access to care.

EULAR’s campaign theme ‘Don’t Delay, Connect Today,’ calls on the public, physicians, policymakers and health professionals to connect and diagnose RMDs earlier and provide timely access to evidence-based treatment.

RMDs impact hundreds of millions of people worldwide and predominantly affect a person’s joints, muscles and connective tissues, causing pain and loss of physical function.

Today, and every day, ��ֳ� remains dedicated to providing innovative solutions to people living with these diseases and to raising public awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and available treatment options.

solutions

World Arthritis Day 2020 rheumatic diseases psoriatic arthritis musculoskeletal diseases axial spondyloarthritis Advantage Hers

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rheumatic diseases

Redefining immunology care: our pledge to patients and the healthcare community

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Leading in healthcare innovation: FASTRAX is on a mission to transform the rheumatic disease journey

Why is a timely diagnosis of axSpA so critical?

Transforming the axSpA patient journey

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��ֳ� Recognizes World Arthritis Day 2020

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rheumatic diseases

Redefining immunology care: our pledge to patients and the healthcare community

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Leading in healthcare innovation: FASTRAX is on a mission to transform the rheumatic disease journey

Why is a timely diagnosis of axSpA so critical?

Transforming the axSpA patient journey

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������ֳ� Recognizes World Arthritis Day 2020

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��ֳ� Recognizes World Arthritis Day 2020