Atom Therapeutics Joins Gout Education Society on Gout Awareness Day, May 22, to Help Educate the Public on Risk Factors and Treatment Options for This Growing Disease

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis: More than 12 million Americans suffer from the disease, and this number continues to rise. But in addition to being prevalent, serious and extremely painful, gout is also widely misunderstood by the public.

May 22 marks Gout Awareness Day—a day set aside each year since 2006 to educate on the severity of gout and encourage proper diagnosis and treatment. The need to keep this disease top-of-mind remains strong, notes N. Lawrence Edwards, MD, MACP, MACR, chairman of the non-profit Gout Education Society, which founded Gout Awareness Day 19 years ago.

"Gout is a serious condition that can lead to permanent joint damage if left untreated. By raising awareness, we hope to encourage individuals to seek proper treatment and manage their condition effectively,” he explained. “While this is a priority for the Gout Education Society each and every day, Gout Awareness Day enables us to join with like-minded individuals and organizations to advocate for better quality of life for patients and their families through education and awareness.”

Dr. William Shi, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Atom Therapeutics, which is developing new therapies to address gout, echoed Dr. Edwards’ comments: “Over the last 30 years, the percentage of people developing gout has been steadily rising, yet many don’t understand their disease. Furthermore, only one in three report taking their daily medications as prescribed to lower uric acid levels. We support the Gout Education Society’s efforts to improve the quality of care and minimize the burden of gout.”

Gout is caused by elevated uric acid levels. Over time, uric acid can accumulate and form crystals in the joints and other tissues—leading to painful flares. Untreated, gout can lead to permanent bone, joint and tissue damage, and other serious health issues, including kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes.

In conjunction with Gout Awareness Day, the Gout Education Society and Atom Therapeutics urge gout sufferers to learn more about the disease, seek immediate treatment and take ongoing steps to manage gout—with the most important step being to check uric acid levels every six months and aim for a healthy target of 6.0 mg/dL or below. While uric acid-lowering medications are typically needed to control gout and reduce future risks, those with gout should also make lifestyle changes—which includes following a healthy and balanced diet.

About Atom Therapeutics

Atom Therapeutics Ltd. is a fast-growing innovative drug company focused on the development of best in class small molecule therapeutics for treatment of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. The company’s lead product, lingdolinurad (ABP-671), is in late-stage clinical development for treatment of chronic gout. Another small molecule ABP-745, for anti-inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in the US and demonstrated good pharmacokinetics and safety, and has initiated Phase 2 clinical trial. For more information please visit: https://atomthera.us/

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