EULAR Announces the Escalating Burden of RMDs

In Europe, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has announced at its Annual Congress major successes in driving the public agenda for addressing the escalating burden of RMDs.

These advances include: Recognition for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) from major European Commission research initiative, Horizon 2020 'FOREUM', Foundation for Research in Rheumatology, grants research funding for four osteoarthritis projects in its first year.

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"It is with great satisfaction that we have seen a progressive dedication of EU research funds for RMDs in recent times. This follows several years of intensive awareness raising activities by EULAR in Brussels," commented Professor Maurizio Cutolo, President of EULAR as well as Chairman of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR). "As a result of these activities (including exchanges with EU policy makers and stakeholders), there is now a much better understanding of the real impact of RMDs. There is also consensus about the need to further implement EU actions against these diseases, including in the research field, where EU funds for RMDs related projects have increased in recent years."

EULAR achieves recognition for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases from major European Commission research initiative, Horizon 2020 EULAR announces momentous success after achieving recognition for RMDs as one of the five major chronic diseases to be addressed by Horizon 2020, Europe's largest ever EU Research and Innovation programme.

Following more than a decade of public affairs activity, EULAR's priority over the past 24 months has been to be recognised as a major condition in the new research framework programme, Horizon 2020, which was initiated on 1 January 2014.

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New data presented at the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, EULAR 2013, shows that novel antibody biomarkers could significantly improve diagnosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Neil Betteridge, Liaison Officer, Public Affairs, EULAR commented, "I am delighted to report that after much hard work on the part of many people, including many EULAR members at a national level, the legislative text of the new research framework programme now lists RMDs as a major disease alongside a select number of others including cancer, cardiac disease, mental illness and diabetes. To this end, 2013-'14 has seen major successes for EULAR in its effort to influence the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council."

He continued, "The challenge now for EULAR is to ensure that as many calls for funding as possible relate to RMDs. We know that the vast majority of calls will not mention specific diseases by name so we must position RMDs as critical in cross-cutting areas such as prevention, innovation and healthy ageing in order to maximise the flow of research funds to our area."