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Cost of Arthritis Soars, According to New Study A new study has found that there has been a rapid increase in the impact of arthritis on individuals, carers and taxpayers to the tune of $24 billion annually. While the study’s results – released in August by Arthritis Australia – are alarming, the good news is that investment in prevention and treatment is highly cost-effective. According to the study, almost 4 million Australians have arthritis and – if you are over 80 – the chances of having arthritis are one in two. Of the $24 billion that the disease costs each year in health care, lost time at work, shortened life-span and years spent with disability, more than 60% is carried by the people with arthritis themselves. While the figure of 3.85 million Australians with arthritis is concerning enough, it is the rapid rise – of about 700,000 in just six years – that is the most disturbing. More than half of these people are of working age, according to the study done by Access Economics – and the cost to the community has skyrocketed more than $4 billion in just three years. The President of Arthritis Australia, Dr Mona Marabani, said that the disease is a greater health priority than cancer or diabetes. “Yet because arthritis isn’t perceived to kill people, it's not taken as seriously,” she said. However, the report also found that clinical evidence suggests that the timely use of medicines can arrest joint damage and consequent disability. The finding highlighted the importance of Apollo's research into developing a drug that can both reduce the pain of arthritis and be taken in tablet form rather than injection, further reducing the health costs of treatment. Earlier this year, Apollo announced the development of an oral treatment that appears to reduce inflammation in the joints, a key factor in the pain associated with arthritis. Preclinical studies revealed that oral doses of Apollo's TNF blocker ALS-00T2 were as good as an injection in lowering inflammation in animals. The results were important because they also showed that Apollo's Oradel™ technology can be used to deliver a large drug, such as ALS-00T2. A major drawback of large drugs is that they are usually destroyed by the stomach’s acid, when taken orally – leaving injections as the only form of administration. Apollo CEO, John Priest, said the study revealed that new medicines are an even greater priority. "At one level this means that there is an enormous market for the Apollo therapy. However there is also the alarming consideration that this is a disease that is rapidly on the rise amongst Australians "in their working prime"," he said. "This just reinforces how important the Apollo anti-arthritis drug could be both to the Australian economy and also to individual Australian either with the disease or caring for someone with arthritis."
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