Celgene has launched a new disease awareness initiative to raise awareness of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

The centrepiece of the Be Counted! campaign is a series of videos that combine with a map that tallies their views, something the firm says will show how disease awareness is increasing across the country.

Campaign videos feature patients newly-diagnosed with PsA alongside tips on healthy living, with the set also hosted on Celgene's Psoriatic Arthritis Info Zone channel on YouTube.

Terrie Curran, corporate vice president, inflammation and immunology at Celgene, said: “Celgene believes that addressing the needs of people living with PsA requires patients to have not only access to different treatment options, but also a better understanding of the disease and its impact.

“The Be Counted! campaign was designed to support PsA patients and the larger community by providing much-needed education and perspective on the disease.”

Jason Faller, from the Mount Sinai Roosevelt Medical Center, said: “People living with PsA often share that, in addition to their physical symptoms, they feel isolated and alone. This is often because PsA impacts people who don't yet have peers facing serious or long-lasting health conditions so they do not know who to turn to for support.

“Also, many disclose that their PsA is confused with osteoarthritis - also known as 'age-related' or 'wear and tear' arthritis - and other autoimmune conditions. However, PsA is a disease that is different from other arthritic or psoriatic conditions and can present significant challenges to those living with the disease.”

A painful and debilitating chronic condition, PsA affects up to one million people in the US, though it's thought its prevalence could be higher due to misdiagnosis and underreporting.