US PhRMA firms developing nearly 100 new medicines for arthritis

The USA’s biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 92 innovative new medicines to help the millions of Americans affected by arthritis, according to a new report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

These medicines in development – all either in clinical trials or under review by the US Food and Drug Administration - include 55 for rheumatoid arthritis, 15 for musculoskeletal pain, 10 for osteoarthritis and seven for psoriatic arthritis.

Arthritis is part of a group of related musculoskeletal diseases consisting of more than 100 different conditions that affect more than 52 million people in the USA, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new report conveys a variety of novel approaches building on our growing knowledge of disease and scientific progress to tackle this challenging chronic disease. Examples include: