Become a Champion for RA

Betsy McLinden also says that in meeting and talking with people who are affected with RA, she and her husband realize that many of these people want to get behind the issue of RA but just don’t know where to turn, which is why the campaign and the ambassador program are so important.

Betsy and John McLinden are lay members of the Leadership Council and “Within Our Reach” ambassadors.

Corporate Support

The importance of developing new treatments for this debilitating disease is not just something that rheumatologists are voicing – pharmaceutical companies have made it a priority, too.

Bristol-Meyers Squibb (BMS), a pinnacle donor to the campaign, became involved early on. “While much progress has been made in the treatment of people with RA, there is still a great deal of research to be done to help healthcare professionals better manage and perhaps one day even cure the disease,” says Michael Corbo, vice president and development team lead at BMS. “Bristol-Myers Squibb is proud to be involved with this innovative research campaign that supports our mission of extending and enhancing human life.” BMS supports the “Within Our Reach” campaign through its charitable giving program.

“Significant advancements in managing and treating RA have been made, but the underlying causes of the disease remain unknown,” says Corbo. “The ‘Within Our Reach’ campaign supports research that seeks to identify the cause of RA, which will help us better treat people afflicted by the disease.”

Another “Within Our Reach” pinnacle donor is Abbott Laboratories. “The past few years have seen tremendous advances in RA treatment, and yet clearly there is even more to learn,” says Rebecca S. Hoffman, MD, divisional vice president of immunology development at Abbott. “A better scientific understanding of RA could help us treat those patients who are still in pain, despite the best treatments. It could also enable us to diagnose, or even predict, new cases of RA so we can stop the disease before it starts.”

For more information about “Within Our Reach,” visit www.WithinOurReach.info. To join the Leadership Council, contact Elizabeth Jennette at (404) 633-3777 or [email protected].