1 in 10
individuals
suffer from at least one of 100+ known autoimmune diseases and are more likely to develop a second autoimmune disease in some cases.
107%
increase in graves' disease
in graves' disease
400%
increase in celiac disease
in the U.S. over the past 30 years (doubling approximately every 15 years)
>75%
are women
of those affected are women, and the leading cause of death among young and middle-aged women in the USA.
Indigenous people
in Canada
have a higher rate of Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Biliary Cholangitis (autoimmune liver disease) than other people groups.
300%
increase
in the most common biomarker for malfunctioning autoimmunity (antinuclear antibodies) between 1988 and 2012
Teens
Aged 12-19
have experienced a threefold increase in ANA (the most common biomarker for malfunctioning autoimmunity) frequency over a study period (1988-1991, 1999-2004, and 2011-2012)
50 million
Americans and over 2 million Canadians are impacted by autoimmune diseases, even though these figures are likely underestimates due to the complexity of diagnoses.
NOW MORE THAN EVER
Why autoimmune disease research matters.
THE FINANCIAL BURDEN
The growing cost of autoimmune disease
Financial Burden
Autoimmune diseases are growing, and individuals, taxpayers, nonprofit organizations, employers and corporations are paying dearly to shoulder the cost burden of getting a proper diagnosis and proper treatments that won’t cause even more harm.
$580K
spent
spent for every 1000 U.S. employees due to excess and potentially avoidable healthcare costs and lost work time linked to five autoimmune conditions
183 - 287
lost workdays
lost workdays per year for employees on long-term disability due to autoimmune disease.
459% increase
in spending
in US spending on autoimmune medications from 2011 to 2021. This is in comparison to an increase in spending of 226% on oncology medications.
$2,200 - $33,500
annual treatment costs
Annual treatment costs (medical and pharmaceutical) shouldered by employers for just one employee with autoimmune conditions.
16x
the amount employers pay
The amount employers pay in prescription medications for employees with autoimmune diseases compared to employees without these conditions.
54%
specialty drug us
Percentage of specialty drug use in 2021 accounting for autoimmune disease treatments.
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$51.8 - $70.6 billion
annual costs
annual costs associated with just 7 of the 100+ known autoimmune diseases in the US alone.*
$4.7 billion
for biological drugs
Cost for biologics drugs (often used to treat autoimmune diseases) in 2022), which is 29% of total public drug program spending in Canada.
4.5 years
average time to diagnose
average time it takes to diagnose a serious and common autoimmune disease.
4.8
number of physicians to diagnose
average number of physicians it will take to diagnose – costing untold millions to governments, individuals and employers who pay for loss productivity.
Learn more about the systemic barriers hampering real progress in autoimmune disease research, and the four reasons why autoimmune disease research matters more than ever.