Autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions can be debilitating, disabling and distressing, dramatically affecting what patients can do each day.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} Pfizer Canada Inflammation & Immunology is committed to supporting Canadians living with these conditions. As a reflection of our commitment to supporting Canadians living with these complex diseases, we work to understand the unique needs of these individuals, listen to what they and their caregivers want to achieve, and develop initiatives to help change their experience for the better.

To support Canadians living with chronic inflammatory conditions, we have developed tools and collaborated on initiatives to connect, inspire, educate and empower the patient community. Our partnerships with patient advocacy and broader healthcare community aim to drive further awareness and support for these conditions, address their many complex facets and advance research.

We have supported numerous patient education, advocacy and fundraising efforts for many years, including the many campaigns with The Arthritis Society, Arthritis Consumer Experts and Arthritis Research Canada, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s Gutsy Walk, and CDHF’s RISEUp for Digestive Diseases.

We also help celebrate advancements in inflammatory and immunological research, and the brilliant minds contributing to progress. In 2020, we established the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Pfizer Canada Women in IBD Research Award, recognizing women making outstanding contributions to the field of IBD research.

We are committed to ensuring that patients have timely and affordable access to the medicines their physicians prescribe, recognizing the challenges that many governments and payers face with regard to healthcare sustainability.

With the goal of making treatment easily accessible, we created patient support programs which serve as a crucial resource for patients taking select Pfizer medications. This includes services and information for treatment to remove barriers for patients to access medication, and ensuring patients are supported throughout all stages of taking medication.

References

1. National Institutes of Health. Autoimmune Diseases. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/autoimmune_diseases_508.pdf.
2. Fleischmann, R, Kremer, J, Cush, J, et al. Placebo-Controlled Trial of Tofacitinib Monotherapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2012. 367; 6. 495-507. 
3. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Society. 2020. https://arthritis.ca/about-arthritis/arthritis-types-(a-z)/types/rheumatoid-arthritis.
4. The Arthritis Society. Psoriatic Arthritis. https://arthritis.ca/about-arthritis/arthritis-types-(a-z)/types/psoriatic-arthritis . Accessed June 19, 2021.
5. Patients at Heart. Ankylosing spondylitis. https://patientsatheart.com/conditions/ankylosing-spondylitis#:~:text=Ankylosing%20spondylitis%20is%20caused%20by,this%20case%20in%20your%20vertebrae. Accessed June 19, 2021.
6. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Impact of IBD in Canada Report, 2018. https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Us/Resources-Publications/Impact-of-IBD-Report. Accessed June 18, 2021.
7. Canadian Dermatology Association. Psoriasis. https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/skin/psoriasis/. Accessed June 19, 2021.