Canadian Arthritis Network - Today's Arthritis Research

Toronto, November 22, 2006—People living with arthritis will be sharing the podium with leading Canadian and international arthritis experts at the 6th Annual Scientific Conference of the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN). The conference, being held December 1st and 2nd (2006) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is an opportunity for scientists to hear first-hand how their research impacts the more than four million Canadians, of all ages, who live with arthritis. Equally, people with arthritis value the opportunity to participate in, and influence, the direction of arthritis research.

“CAN’s conference builds on what takes place all year long within the Network in terms of sharing, collaborating and seeking solutions,” explains Dr. Jane Aubin, Scientific Director and CEO of the Canadian Arthritis Network. “We have a record number of attendees this year and I’m hopeful that will translate into important discoveries and partnerships down the road.”

The two-day conference will explore issues that are of particular relevance to people with arthritis, basic scientists and clinicians, industry and government. The theme of the conference -- Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Arthritis: Building with Research and Partnerships -- is grouped around seven symposia on the following topics:

Delegates at the conference will also have the opportunity to hear what progress has been made from six multi-disciplinary teams of researchers who have been working on projects in the area of osteoarthritis since 2002.

Dr. Robin Poole, Scientific Director Emeritus of CAN and the 2006 recipient of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International’s Lifetime Achievement Award, is chairing a Partnering workshop with representatives from industry, government and the University of Manitoba. “The CAN conference is structured in a way that encourages input from various stakeholder communities. This makes the discussions more meaningful, relevant and inclusive and the learning is richer. I feel that Canadians from all walks of life will benefit from this event,” says Dr. Poole.

Arthritis means inflammation of a joint and is widely used as an umbrella term for more than 100 different conditions that may cause aching, pain and inflammation of the body’s joints and connective tissues. Arthritis is one of Canada’s three most common chronic conditions affecting over four million men, women and children and costing Canadian taxpayers more than $4.4 billion per year in health care expenses and lost work days.

Joyce Greene, diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis in 1994, at the age of 34, is one of 300,000 Canadians living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The disease affects women three times more often than men and most people develop RA between the ages of 25 and 50, according to CAN research.

Like many others attending the conference, Ms. Greene believes there is hope for people with arthritis thanks to scientific research. “Arthritis medication and joint replacement therapy gave me back my life by getting me out of a wheelchair and walking again.”

Ms. Greene is currently the aboriginal representative of the Network’s Consumer Advisory Council and is giving a presentation on the topic of rheumatoid arthritis in the First Nations community. She says she is very happy that “CAN’s conference is focusing on the perplexing issue of why so many aboriginals [19 per cent vs. 16 per cent in the non-aboriginal community] suffer from arthritis and [she is] eager for an answer.”

The conference is taking place December 1-2 at the Fairmont Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba. CAN would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: Abbott, AMGEN, AstraZeneca, Centocor Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, sanofi aventis and Smith & Nephew.

The Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN) (www.arthritisnetwork.ca) is a not-for-profit organization, funded by the Government of Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence, to support arthritis research and development and to facilitate the commercialization of its Network Investigators’ discoveries. CAN is the single point of contact that links 167 leading Canadian arthritis researchers and clinicians, 44 Canadian academic institutions, The Arthritis Society, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and government.

For more information, including a full list of institutions involved in this project, please contact:

Stacey Johnson,
416-586-4685 Toronto (office)
November 29 to December 6, please call 416-712-4448 (cell)

sjohnson@arthritisnetwork.ca