OAFI and the University of Alcalá sign a collaboration agreement to work together in osteoarthritis research

The agreement, signed this Tuesday by Dr. Josep Vergés, Founder and President of OAFI, and Prof. F. Javier de la Mata, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer of the University of Alcalá, will focus on pharmacological research into osteoarthritis and the locomotor system.

The Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) and the University of Alcalá (UAH), have signed this Wednesday, June 15, a collaboration agreement with which they will join forces to work on research, development and innovation in the field of prevention, treatment and improvement of the quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis and the role of the different drugs used in it. In this way, both entities are committed to continue their work for the protection of the health and rights of osteoarthritis patients.

OAFI has been collaborating for more than 2 years with the UAH through the Department of Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology Teaching Unit), one of the leaders in clinical pharmacology research in our country.

It is currently estimated that osteoarthritis affects more than 7 million people in our country, who face a three-year delay in diagnosis. Moreover, osteoarthritis tends not to come alone: 95% of those affected suffer from associated comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, pharmacological therapeutic options for treating the disease remain limited and often do not take these comorbidities into account.

In view of this reality, OAFI and the UAH are joining forces to promote research in the pharmacological field of this disease, in order to improve and expand the pharmacological alternatives for patients with osteoarthritis, while at the same time gaining a better understanding of the profile of the patient suffering from this pathology. Likewise, the collaboration agreement will also be aimed at research into all aspects of the locomotor system, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and muscle injuries, among others, and their associated comorbidities.

In the words of Dr. Vergés, this collaboration will lead to “a better pharmaco-epidemiological and therapeutic knowledge of osteoarthritis, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of life of our patients”. According to Prof. F. Javier de la Mata, Vice-Rector of Research and Transfer of the UAH, “this agreement highlights the UAH’s commitment to research and the necessary collaboration with the social fabric when defining research strategies and their applications”. Prof. Francisco de Abajo, Professor of Pharmacology at the UAH, adds: “we do research by and for patients, hence the importance of involving them, through their associations, in the research process.” 

The implementation of this agreement will be a major step forward in pharmacological research into the disease, including the voice and experience of the patient, and could improve the quality of life of thousands of people in our country.