REF SURPASSES RA RESEARCH-FOCUSED CAMPAIGN GOAL
LAUNCHES NEW, COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN
CHICAGO – The American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation has officially closed its five-year Within Our Reach fundraising campaign by surpassing its original $30 million goal, and today announced the launch of its new, five-year, $60 million comprehensive campaign – Journey to Cure.
Within Our Reach raised a total of $30,726,030 from 318 donors. Even in tough economic times, the campaign’s average gift amount was $96,623– with patient donors accounting for more than $3 million of the funds raised.
Within Our Reach Research Impact Wide and Ongoing
In 2006, The REF launched Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis, an unprecedented $30 million national campaign focused solely on funding novel research in rheumatoid arthritis. Since its inception, Within Our Reach has received 238 applications for funding, and has awarded 58 grants –totaling $24 million to notable investigators across the country. Over the next two years, the remaining $6 million will be awarded to more investigator-initiated clinical trials in RA.
The American College of Rheumatology and several industry leaders supported Within Our Reach as Pinnacle donors, each giving $5 million to the RA-focused campaign. Their support was a strong statement that this type of targeted research initiative in RA, an autoimmune disease affecting as many as 1.3 million Americans, would have a major impact on improving the lives of these patients.
“The ACR made the first commitment of $5 million to the Within Our Reach campaign because we predicted the impact this type of campaign could make in the rheumatology community. The ACR has been so thrilled with the Within Our Reach campaign and what it has meant to RA research and our academic community, it has again boldly taken the lead as the first donor for the new Journey to Cure campaign – by making another $5 million donation,” says incoming ACR President James R. O’Dell, MD (who is scheduled to take his new leadership position this week at the ACR’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago).
Within Our Reach has fostered academic medicine investigators’ engagement in the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of RA. Among the industry leaders who became Pinnacle donors of the campaign is Abbott, whose leaders note the great strides that can be made in RA research and treatment innovations through an aggressive fundraising campaign.
"Medical research has significantly advanced rheumatoid arthritis treatment,” says the company’s Divisional Vice President of Immunology Development, John R. Medich, PhD. “Because of new treatments, many people with RA are living pain-free, productive lives and feeling better than we could have imagined just a decade ago. Our hope is that through the continued advancement of medical science there will be a way to prevent this debilitating disease one day."
Another Pinnacle donor, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, lent its support early to the campaign in an effort to further research and innovation in this devastating disease. “Bristol-Myers Squibb is proud to contribute to the success of Within Our Reach and support innovative research in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis,” says Laura Bessen, vice president, US Medical Immunoscience, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “As a BioPharma leader focused on helping patients prevail over serious diseases, Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed to improving the quality of life and long-term outcomes of patients with RA, and investing in research that advances the understanding and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.
UCB, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company with U.S. operations in Atlanta (which is also where the corporate office of the ACR REF is located), is another Pinnacle donor to Within Our Reach, supporting the campaign for similar, patient-focused reasons.
“Our mission at UCB is to transform the lives of people living with rheumatoid arthritis and other severe diseases through innovative treatments and unique patient programs,” explains Kathleen Bos, MD vice president of Medical Affairs for UCB and a rheumatologist. “We are committed to supporting rheumatology education and development as well as the continued advancement of ground-breaking research that will accelerate patient care today and ultimately lead to a cure for the millions suffering from rheumatic diseases.”
Journey To Cure Continues The Work
To continue the momentum gained in recent years and speed advancements in patient care and research discoveries in rheumatic disease, the REF has launched a new campaign called Journey to Cure – a $60 million, multi-year campaign to directly invest in an extensive peer-reviewed grants program focused on rheumatology training and research
Through this campaign, the REF plans to support programs to attract and train the next generation of rheumatologists, and expand programs to foster and support novel hypothesis research in a variety of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Doubling its fundraising goal with Journey to Cure, the REF hopes to positively impact the lives of millions of patients with these serious inflammatory conditions.
To learn more about the new Journey to Cure campaign or how to support the campaign, visit www.rheumatology.org/REF or call Paula Reed at (404) 633-3777.
The ACR Research and Education Foundation was established in 1985 as a 501c3 organization with a mission of advancing research and training to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases. Over the last decade, the REF has grown to become the largest private funding source of rheumatology training and research programs in the U.S. On average, 90 cents of every dollar donated to the REF is used to fund rheumatology training and development, and targeted research programs to advance patient care and accelerate discoveries in the rheumatic diseases. For more information, visit www.rheumatology.org/REF.
