Amgen and IFPA Launch UPLIFT Innovation Challenge

Amgen with its partnership with the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) announced the launch of the Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) Innovation Challenge.¹ UPLIFT is a worldwide initiative with the goal of impacting the psoriatic disease community by fostering the development of actionable solutions to address the struggles patients diagnosed with psoriatic disease and health care providers face. Applicants to the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge are asked to answer the question: "How can we unite people living with psoriatic disease and their health care providers to achieve optimal health outcomes?"

"Despite tremendous advances in recent years, significant areas of unmet need remain for people living with psoriatic disease," said Frida Dunger Johnsson, executive director, IFPA, Stockholm, Sweden. "Patient organizations are uniquely positioned to develop and implement solutions that address these needs as we are on the front lines, constantly working to help improve the lives of people with psoriatic disease. We chose to partner with Amgen on the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge as a global opportunity fitting to the IFPA mission to improve the lives of all people living with psoriatic disease."

The UPLIFT survey was created to measure the effects of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in patients diagnosed with those conditions. The data presented confirmed earlier data from a 2012 survey by the Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP) in that fewer people with psoriatic arthritis reported seeing a health care provider in the past year (50% in the UPLIFT survey vs 83% in the MAPP survey) and a majority, 74%, perceived their disease as moderate to severe despite the percentage receiving treatment. 

"Nearly a decade after the MAPP survey, during which more treatments have become available, the UPLIFT survey suggests unmet needs in patient care persist. It also revealed an ongoing disconnect between patients' perceptions of their disease severity and how healthcare providers categorize their disease using common measures of disease severity," said Darryl Sleep, MD, senior vice president, global medical, and chief medical officer at Amgen,

Thousand Oaks, California. "With these findings in mind, we are proud to launch the UPLIFT Innovation Challenge with IFPA to encourage much-needed dialogue and support the development of potential solutions to help address the gaps in the treatment journey for this community."

Other data from the survey from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, found that out of 2,0006 responders, 72% of patients had been diagnosed with psoriasis only, 25% had been diagnosed with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and 3% had only been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. 

• A majority (62%) of patients with psoriasis with limited skin involvement, defined as a body surface area (BSA) of 3% or less, characterized their disease as moderate or severe, and 79% had psoriasis in at least one special area, such as the scalp, face, nail, palms, or soles.
• While 84% of European patients with psoriatic arthritis surveyed reported receiving treatment, 72% said their current disease was moderate-to-severe and substantial disease burden and 52% of Europeans with psoriatic arthritis surveyed had not seen a healthcare provider for their disease in the past year.

Amgen and IFPA created the challenge to combat the undertreatment and strong disconnect between patients’ perceptions and standard measures of disease severity documented in the 2020 UPLIFT survey. This data was presented virtually at the 6th World Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Conference (WPPAC), June 30- July 3, 2021. 

For those interested in participating, the challenge is open to all local, regional, and national psoriasis- and psoriatic arthritis-focused patient organizations worldwide. Amgen and the IFPA ask entrants to submit their applications by 23:59 EDT on Monday, August 30, 2021. Additional rules and details can be found at www.UPLIFTInnovationChallenge.com. One winner will be chosen to receive a one-time donation or grant of $25,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency) to help the execution of their proposed solution.

Reference:

1. Amgen. Amgen and the international federation of psoriasis associations launch uplift innovation challenge. Accessed July 28, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-and-the-international-federation-of-psoriasis-associations-launch-uplift-innovation-challenge-301333328.html