Pfizer allies with football star to raise back pain awareness

Pfizer has enlisted the support of Premier League footballer Rory Delap on a new campaign to raise awareness of the potential health implications of lower back pain.

The pharmaceutical company is collaborating with the Ankylosing Spondylitis International Federation (ASIF) on the initiative, which is intended to educate young people about ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an incurable back problem which is often mistaken for common back pain.

It has sought the support of a number of European football stars in order to raise the profile of the campaign, including Stoke City player Delap, thereby helping to call attention to a relatively little-known condition.

Seoirse Smith, president of the ASIF, stated that this is important due to the fact that cases of AS often go undiagnosed for more than a decade.

He added: “If AS is not correctly diagnosed or treated, over many years, the spine can become rigid as it may fuse together making it increasingly difficult to move around freely and undertake day-to-day activities.”

Earlier this year, Pfizer formed an alliance with not-for-profit organisation Medicines for Malaria Venture in order to create a new malaria drug for distribution in developing nations.