Rheumatoid Arthritis & Related Diseases
More than 2.1 million adults in the United States—about one percent of the entire population—have rheumatoid arthritis, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Potentially debilitating, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can lead to long-term joint damage, which often results in chronic pain and loss of function. The Arthritis Foundation found that people with rheumatoid arthritis are two times more likely to die as persons of the same age without the disease.
Despite recent advances in treatment, many current therapies have significant limitations. Some patients do not respond to commonly prescribed treatments while others have an initial response that diminishes over time. In addition, many patients are unable to tolerate current drug therapies. As a result, important unmet medical needs continue to exist. Bristol-Myers Squibb is working on new drug treatments to help in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis.