Empowering Women’s Health at RheumaPreg 2023 Conference

The 12th International Conference on Reproduction, Pregnancy, and Rheumatic Diseases (RheumaPreg), chaired by Professor Catherine Nelson Piercy, was held in London from Friday, 8th September to Sunday, 10th September 2023.

This highly anticipated event gathered medical professionals, researchers, and stakeholders from across the globe to cover all aspects of rheumatic disease in pregnancy, and presented a platform to discuss the unmet needs of women of childbearing age living with chronic diseases.

At UCB, we welcomed this opportunity to highlight the significance of timely family planning discussions, disease management, and optimal treatment for women suffering from chronic diseases, such as axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Through our ongoing commitment to understanding and meeting the unique yet unmet needs of women of childbearing age living with such conditions, we were proud to support RheumaPreg 2023.

The conference featured a high-quality scientific program and a wide range of activities, including scientific lectures, panel discussions, and poster presentations. In the opening session, Prof Catherine Nelson Piercy empowered the audience with her visionary speech about the future direction for women's health. Similarly, to the previous RheumaPreg congresses, curbside consultations were popular sessions. This year, an unplanned pregnancy with lupus nephritis during the COVID-19 pandemic and a pregnant and unwell case with scleroderma were spontaneously discussed. UCB was present with a scientific symposium dedicated to highlighting the value of including pregnant women in clinical trials, from the perspective of both healthcare professionals and patients, considering the bioethical debate. Symposium presentations were followed by a healthy debate and an outstanding conversation between the panelists and the audience, which also urged the need to generate data for pregnant women with chronic diseases to facilitate confident decision-making.

The event also provided opportunities to engage with key stakeholders at international levels. Discussions were centered around the perspectives of patients, acknowledging the vital importance of first-hand narratives from women living with rheumatic diseases. We believe this approach is key to acknowledging the unmet needs of women of childbearing age and will pave the way for the formulation of patient-focused strategies to manage their conditions during reproductive years.

RheumaPreg 2023 played a pivotal role in enhancing the care provided to women of childbearing age living with rheumatic diseases, empowering them to lead healthier lives and navigate pregnancy with confidence and clarity. More information about the event can be found on the RheumaPreg 2023 website.