The BioIndustry Association announces 2020 charity partnership with Versus Arthritis

The BioIndustry Association (BIA) is proud to be working with Versus Arthritis as its charity partner for 2020. Arthritis and associated musculoskeletal conditions affect 18 million people in the UK and are one of the biggest causes for GP visits and absence from work. Over half of people affected live in pain every day, yet admit they are not open with family or close friends about its impact. The partnership aims to raise funds, increase awareness, and promote vital arthritis research to the life sciences ecosystem to support those affected by the condition.

The partnership will be formally launched at the BIA’s Gala Dinner on the 23 January 2020. Proceeds from a silent auction, table donations and financial pledges on the night will be donated to the charity. 

Versus Arthritis aims to push back against the condition by challenging misconceptions and ensuring arthritis is recognised as a priority in the UK. Alongside influencing government and educating healthcare professionals, the charity supports people affected and invests in research making a real difference.

Steve Bates OBE, Chief Executive of the BIA said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the team at Versus Arthritis for 2020. Health charities are a key component of the UK’s life science innovation ecosystem; their research is driven by patient insight and also provides deep scientific and clinical disease expertise that UK SMEs can learn from and partner with. 
 
“I look forward to celebrating this partnership at our Gala dinner in the new year and identifying areas of opportunities for the charity with our membership.”
 
Liam O’Toole, CEO of Versus Arthritis said: “The scale and burden of arthritis are enormous and need to be tackled with a collective effort across industry investment and research translation.

"We’re actively seeking partners to combine both our resources and expertise so we can have a greater impact on the lives of millions of people with arthritis. 

"Our recent partnership with UKRI will see a £24 million research platform bringing together biological, psycho-social and cognitive pain researchers to make treatment advances that will make a profound difference to people living with arthritis.

"The BIA partnership is a wonderful opportunity for us to develop innovative, effective partnerships with the bioscience community.”

ENDS
Notes to Editors

1) For more information contact Shannon Quinney, Communications Executive, [email protected], 02076302183

2) The BIA’s Gala Dinner will be held at the Brewery on January 23, 2020. For more information, please follow this link. 

3) Find out more about BIA's Charity Partnership of the Year here.

About the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA)

Founded over 25 years ago at the infancy of biotechnology, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) is the trade association for innovative enterprises involved in UK bioscience. Members include emerging and more established bioscience companies; pharmaceutical companies; academic, research and philanthropic organisations; and service providers to the bioscience sector. The BIA represents the interests of its members to a broad section of stakeholders, from government and regulators to patient groups and the media. Our goal is to secure the UK's position as a global hub and as the best location for innovative research and commercialisation, enabling our world-leading research base to deliver healthcare solutions that can truly make a difference to people's lives.

For further information, please go to https://www.bioindustry.org/ and twitter.com/BIA_UK

About Versus Arthritis 

There are 18 million people living with arthritis and related conditions in the UK. That’s one in four people, with half of those living in pain every single day. The impact is huge as the condition slowly intrudes on everyday life – affecting the ability to work, care for a family or move free from pain. Yet arthritis is often dismissed as an inevitable part of aging or shrugged off as ‘just a bit of arthritis’. We don’t think that this is ok. Versus Arthritis is here to change that.   

Alongside volunteers, healthcare professionals, decision makers and researchers we do everything we can to push back against arthritis.  

Together, we develop breakthrough treatments, campaign relentlessly for arthritis to be seen as a priority and support people with arthritis whenever they need it. We’re making real progress. But there’s still a long way to go, and we won’t stop until no-one has to tolerate the pain, fatigue and isolation of arthritis. We are Versus Arthritis.

Find out more at: www.versusarthritis.org  

For more information about the charity’s research ambitions for 2019/2020 visit www.versusarthritis.org/researchapproach