World Arthritis Day: "Don’t delay, connect today"

To mark World Arthritis Day, we are lending our voice to the chorus of patient advocates encouraging patients to see their doctor if they are concerned about joint pain. The theme of the day is ‘Don’t delay, connect today’.

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) can have a profound impact on people’s lives by limiting movement and independence. However, early diagnosis and timely access to evidence-based treatments can minimise damage to joints, reducing the burden on patients and society.

At UCB, we are working to improve the lives of people with RMDs by raising disease awareness and investing in research. For example, our scientists aim to provide new innovative treatment options so that people affected by these conditions can live beyond the constraints of their severe diseases.

Disease awareness
Some forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, arise from wear and tear on the joints. Other RMDs are inflammatory diseases. Given our expertise in immunological conditions, our focus is on diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

• Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive disease which causes chronic inflammation of the joints. It generally affects the fingers, thumbs, wrists, feet and ankles. An estimated 5 million people suffer from RA in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US alone. Women are three times as likely to be affected and, while it can strike at any age, the disease most commonly begins between the ages of 40 and 60.
• Axial spondyloarthritis is a chronic form of arthritis that causes significant inflammatory low back and/or buttock pain that persists more than three months. The condition often affects the bones and joints at the base of the spine where it connects with the pelvis. When the disease is active, these joints become inflamed. Unlike back pain caused by sports injuries or accidents, axSpA is an inflammatory condition and is generally chronic.
• Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease. It causes inflammation, swelling, joint pain, splitting fingernails and toe nails that often peel away from the nail bed, eye pain and redness, and pain in the back of the heel.

At UCB, we will continue to raise awareness of RMDs and to bring innovative treatments to people who need them – on World Arthritis Day, and every day.