• We established minimum standard requirements for arthritis clinics, leading to efforts to provide more and better services for people with arthritis. 
• We granted funds in 1949 to support the Seventh International Congress on Rheumatic Diseases, pioneering a presentation about cortisone yielding dramatic improvements in rheumatoid arthritis and sparking a surge of new studies that began a decade-long “age of steroids.” Scientists soon learned about the limitations and side effects of cortisone. 
• In the coming years, we enabled scientists to also gradually learn that arthritis was not one disease, but that there are more than 100 different forms of arthritis. 

• In 1951, the Arthritis Foundation’s first national postdoctoral research fellowships were awarded — seven grants totaling $33,500. 
• In 1954-55, we funded special training in arthritis for more than 25,000 physicians and 5,000 nurses, giving them a better understanding of the disease in its many forms. 
• Local Arthritis Foundation chapters were formed nationwide, supporting 200 treatment centers and dozens of “traveling clinics” for those bedridden at home. 
• We supported a drive to enable skilled physical therapists to make 77,000 visits to homebound patients and mobilize rehabilitation programs to help get disabled workers back to work. 
• We released the first issue of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, published in 1958. 

• In 1964, in partnership with the American Pharmaceutical Association, we distributed 350,000 pieces of literature about arthritis to drugstores in 360 communities nationwide.
• That same year, an article appeared in the widely read national publication Parents’ Magazine, giving the basic facts on arthritis and what to do, written by the Arthritis Foundation’s consulting medical director.
• We published and distributed “Osteoarthritis — A Handbook for Patients” in 1967.
• By the Arthritis Foundation’s 20th anniversary, scientific research we funded had contributed to the development of numerous new drugs and improved treatment methods, helping prevent disability and often restoring lost function.

• Arthritis Foundation telethons continued to draw more donors, raising funds for research and resources, thanks to the participation of even more celebrities supporting our cause, including Milton Berle, Betty White, Allen Ludden, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, Doc Severinsen, Ed McMahon, George Burns, Paul Lynde and many more. 
• At our insistence, Congress and U.S. President Richard M. Nixon designated May as “National Arthritis Month” in 1972, as a special time to emphasize research, service and education, and to raise funds, which has continued every May since. 
• In 1978, we funded research into arthritis as a symptom of Lyme disease, leading to recognition that Lyme is an infectious disease caused by a tick bite. 

• We funded a study in 1982 that led to methotrexate becoming a mainstay of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
• In 1983, we funded a research grant to explore the role of interleukin-1 in rheumatoid arthritis, ushering in the biologic era — and fundamental to modern treatments.
• We kicked off our first National Juvenile Arthritis Conference (now JA Family Summit) in 1984, bringing together children with JA and their families to learn, exchange tips, make new friends and have fun.
• We initiated our Ease of Use product testing and development program in 1988, encouraging manufacturers to design user-friendly products geared specifically toward the needs of people living with arthritis.

• We launched our website — arthritis.org — in1995, including collaborations with other websites like MSNBC.com and a national chat on ABCNews.com. 
• We supported research leading to the development of etanercept (Enbrel), introduced in 1998 — the first biologic medication approved to treat autoimmune arthritis. 
• That same year, we also co-sponsored North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium (NARAC) research and maintenance of a database on genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, funded by the Arthritis Foundation and two National Institutes of Health organizations. 

• We supported the discovery of the FDA-approved biologic anakinra (Kineret) in 2000, to treat rheumatoid arthritis — a modified version of interleukin-1 that inhibits immune responses. 
• We were a key player in passing the federal Children’s Health Act of 2000, which intensified research into juvenile arthritis and began closing the gap in the pediatric rheumatology shortage. A congressional statement said: “This act will have a far-reaching impact on the health of America’s youth, addressing juvenile arthritis (JA) and other childhood diseases.” 
• In 2002, we teamed up with the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) to strengthen our partnership to benefit thousands of kids living with JA and related conditions. 
• We demonstrated that it made sense to provide coverage for self-administered therapies, leading to the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, benefiting 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries with rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. 

• We funded research leading to the invention of the biologic secukinumab (Cosentyx), approved by the FDA in 2015 to treat ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. 
• In 2017, we launched scientific initiatives to fund advancement of osteoarthritis treatments, cultivation of a new generation of rheumatologists and conquering childhood arthritis. 
• We introduced guidelines in 2019 for the use of CBD (cannabidiol, a plant-based compound) to relieve arthritis pain — the first-ever CBD guidance from a major health organization, garnering widespread media attention. 
• We co-wrote model legislation on step therapy reform, which has served as the basis for bills passed in 34 states and counting — and for the Safe Step Act federal bill reintroduced in the current Congress. 

Our work today and beyond focuses on accelerating scientific research; breaking down barriers in health care and fixing inequities; and expanding patient education opportunities. We’re accomplishing all of that and more, as we continue our commitment to help people with arthritis and their loved ones navigate their own unique journeys. 

• We’re spearheading deeper osteoarthritis research, including our leadership of the OA Clinical Trial Network, to encourage drug developers to study new therapies for OA. 
• We’re also continuing to make progress to advance treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis and other forms of this complex, multifaceted disease. 
• Our Live Yes! Connect Groups, in person and virtual, have grown to at least 75 groups, bringing people together to share their common interests and challenges with arthritis. 
• We expanded our Helpline services in 2021 to respond to requests in Spanish and many other languages and launched our revamped Spanish language website in 2022. 

• We partnered with the FDA in 2021 to convene osteoarthritis experts and researchers from around the world for a virtual workshop on developing new treatments with long-term benefits for those who battle OA. 
• By 2021, each Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast episode was in the top 10% of all downloads during its first week of release. 
• Our “How It Hurts” report in 2021 took a deep dive into arthritis pain and underscored why further action is needed, and why we’re taking extra steps to put powerful new tools and resources into the hands of patients. 
• In 2022, we issued a statement taking a stance on biosimilar medications that are increasingly becoming available to people with arthritis, in addition to biologics. 
• We released our first-ever report of its kind on juvenile arthritis in 2022, based on a collection of data from a survey completed by parents and guardians of children ages 5 to 17.