New Survey Reveals That More Than Half of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Europe and Canada Feel Their Disease Controls Their Lives
Posted on: Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 00:00 CDT
Three-of-Four Patients Surveyed Experience Daily Pain From Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Current Treatment; Findings Unveiled at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress of Rheumatology
Furthermore, one-third of people with RA surveyed believe nothing can be done to stop the progression of the disease. The survey results were accepted for poster presentation at the 2009 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual Congress of Rheumatology in
The RAISE survey sheds light on the unmet needs of RA patients regarding physician/patient consultation and support, treatment preferences and quality of life issues. Findings from the survey were also premiered at a special roundtable discussion between several of Europe's leading rheumatologists and RA patients representing key advocacy organizations from the
"Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that has a significant impact on a patient's quality of life," said
About 25 percent of people with RA who are currently on a subcutaneous injectable medication rely on caregivers or healthcare providers to administer the medication while 24 percent of patients who self-inject experience pain upon injection and 20 percent experience irritation at the injection site. Of those people who self-inject, approximately 12 percent described the process as somewhat difficult demonstrating the unmet need for patient-friendly, self-injectable devices and formulations that are less painful.
Furthermore, people with RA would be willing to try a new biologic if the product was developed with patient-friendly features, including: working consistently (76 percent); offering once-monthly administration (75 percent); simple instructions (69 percent); easier auto-injector (66 percent) and producing less injection site reactions (56 percent).
"When we examine the survey findings, we are reminded of the importance of communication between physicians and patients and the need to increase discussion to include a range of issues related to rheumatoid arthritis, including the impact the disease has on quality of life," said
In addition to assessing the impact of living with RA and identifying the opportunities for improvement in patient/physician consultation and support, the survey sought to determine how biologic therapies may help meet an unmet need and understand patient attitudes about currently available treatments.
Additional Key Findings
Biologic Treatments - The surveyed patients were either on biologic therapy or were biologic naive but eligible for biologic treatment based on a broad set of criteria. Of those patients currently taking an anti-TNF therapy, over three-quarters said that their treatment reduces the amount of joint pain and swelling and 71 percent feel that their medication is well tolerated. Only 11 percent of biologic eligible patients had ever been recommended a biologic treatment by a physician. Additionally, a majority of the biologic-eligible patients would be willing to try a medication requiring an injection if the product: stopped disease progression (89 percent); relieved more symptoms for a greater period of time (86 percent); didn't hurt at the time of injection (75 percent) and was easy to use (73 percent).
Current Treatments - A total of 66 percent of people with RA surveyed feel their current treatment provides only short-term relief, while almost 20 percent of people with RA believe their current medication produces inconsistent results. Furthermore, patients cite the pain and discomfort they receive at the injection site as well as tolerance issues as drawbacks from their current medication.
"This large patient survey provides key insights into how patients with rheumatoid arthritis live with their disease and how therapy may impact their ability to manage their RA," said
About the RAISE Patient Needs Survey
The RAISE survey is part of an educational initiative designed to gain insight into the management and treatment of RA from both health care provider and patient points-of-view. The first program executed under RAISE was a large-scale survey of RA patients designed to: better understand the perceptions of RA patients and their therapy; characterize the patients view on unmet needs and increase physician awareness of the perceptions of their patients and their unmet therapy needs. The survey was conducted October through
A total of 586 patients, approximately 30 biologic naive and 35 currently using anti-TNF alpha agents from nine countries (
Development of the survey was guided by the RAISE Patient Needs Panel Steering Group, comprised of Drs.
The final survey included, but was not limited to, questions covering RA diagnosis and physician visits, methods for obtaining information and support for the management of RA, daily living with RA, and patients' beliefs around their current treatment.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and debilitating disease that affects approximately one percent of Canadian adults and more than three million people in
About Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription and consumer products as well as to animal health products. Schering-Plough's vision is to "Earn Trust, Every Day" with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the world. The company is based in
SCHERING-PLOUGH DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information in this press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the potential market for SIMPONI.
Forward-looking statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future events. Schering-Plough does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from Schering-Plough's forward-looking statements, including market forces, economic factors, product availability, patent and other intellectual property protection, current and future branded, generic or over-the-counter competition, the regulatory process, and any developments following regulatory approval, among other uncertainties. For further details about these and other factors that may impact the forward-looking statements, see Schering-Plough's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in Schering-Plough's 2009 10-Q, filed
SOURCE Schering-Plough
Source: PR Newswire
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