UCB Becomes Pinnacle Donor to the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation's Researc...( SAN FRANCISCO Oct. 27 /- 6:00 am ...),Health

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- 6:00 am PST -- UCB announced today the company has joined the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation (REF) as a Pinnacle sponsor of the program: "Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis." The announcement was made at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting.

"We are joining the Within Our Reach program because we believe this debilitating disease can be eradicated and this will happen only after extensive research," said Olav Hellebo, UCB's President of Immunology Operations. "This donation shows UCB's commitment to the patients and physicians who deal with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) every day."

Within Our Reach is a national multi-year campaign to raise $30 million to fund innovative RA research in five primary areas: innovative basic research, translational research, clinical practice, novel clinical trials and collaborative projects.

"We are most appreciative of UCB's donation to the Within Our Reach campaign," said Leslie J. Crofford, M.D., president of the REF. "The generosity shown by UCB and all of our contributors in support of our research program will help us to realize the elusive goals of prevention and cure of RA."

The REF launched "Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis" fundraising campaign and an extensive research grant program comparable to the National Institutes of Health's major grant funding programs. Through a rigorous grant application and peer-review process, the REF identifies the scientists and doctors who are most prepared and motivated to work on finding the cure for RA and awards major funds through the Within Our Reach campaign to those deserving researchers at major universities and medical institutions throughout the United States.

"UCB is proud to support this program that has the potential to improve patients' quality of life and ease long-term effects of the diseas
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