HHS awards up to $31M for potential OA therapy; Congress funds veteran arthritis research
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Key takeaways:
- A team developing a yearly injection to treat osteoarthritis received up to $31 million in HHS funds.
- The 2024 federal budget includes $10 million for arthritis research among military service members.
A pair of research initiatives for arthritis and osteoarthritis are receiving tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. government.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis announced they have been awarded up to $31 million in HHS funds for their efforts to develop a single, yearly joint injection to treat OA, according to a university press release.
A multidisciplinary research team at Washington University aims to “develop advanced nanoparticles intended to deliver snippets of genetic code into human joint cells,” read the statement.
“This award is a moonshot initiative, funding high-risk projects with the goal of developing a single-injection treatment or even a cure for osteoarthritis,” one of the team’s leaders, Farshid Guilak, PhD, of Washington University, said in the release. “If successful, we could potentially affect the quality of life for millions of people and lessen the economic impact due to the billions of dollars spent treating pain caused by osteoarthritis.”
The funds were made available through HHS’ Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The agency was established in 2022 to improve the government’s ability to accelerate biomedical and health solutions. The award falls under ARPA-H’s NITRO program, for Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis.
“Sixty percent to 70% of young athletes with joint injuries will be affected by osteoarthritis 10 to 15 years down the road,” Christine T. N. Pham, MD, also of Washington University, said in the release. “If we can reverse or stop the disease from progressing, we can save a lot of young individuals from undergoing joint-replacement surgery at an early age.”
The multidisciplinary team working alongside Guilak and Pham will include experts in nanomedicine, genetics, biomedical engineering and circadian biology.
In a separate release, the American College of Rheumatology applauded $10 million in funding included the recently passed 2024 U.S. federal budget. According to the ACR, the funding is earmarked for research into arthritis among U.S. military service members, including risks, outcomes and treatments for veterans and active-duty personnel.
“The ACR applauds Congress for including provisions in the budget that prioritize the future of rheumatology,” ACR President Deborah Dyett Desir, MD, said in the release. “This budget recognizes the critical need for both a stronger physician workforce and continued research funding for arthritis and rheumatic diseases, ultimately benefiting millions of patients.”
This marks the second year in a row that Congress has allocated $10 million for arthritis in the defense budget. Last year’s funding was the first new medical research line item in 8 years in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, according to the ACR.
Other provisions in the spending bill include increased funding for the NIH and an extension of the Conrad 30 program, which allows physicians with a J-1 visa who were educated and trained in the United States to enter the American medical workforce upon the completion of their residency.
Reference:
ACR cheers funding for rheumatology research, workforce relief inclusion in recently passed federal budget. https://rheumatology.org/press-releases/acr-cheers-funding-for-rheumatology-research-workforce-relief-inclusion-in-recently-passed-federal-budget. Published March 25, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2024.
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