Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease of immune dysregulation affecting 1% of United Kingdom adults at an estimated cost to the taxpayer exceeding £5B per annum. Recently, enhanced pathophysiological understanding and a growing array of rational therapeutic candidates have converged on the potential to intercept rheumatoid arthritis before clinically manifest arthritis occurs, raising the possibility of delaying or even preventing disease. The National Institute for Health and Care Research Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Acceleration Award provided 12-month support to accelerate the development of an international precision medicine platform study, within remit of the Medical Research Council-National Institute for Health and Care Research Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme. To this end, Rheumatoid Arthritis Prevention: catalysing PlatfORm Trial proposed a pan-European precision medicine platform trial for preventative interventions in people at risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Challenges of delivering a trial of this nature led by a United Kingdom Sponsor, as well as those specific to the delivery of Rheumatoid Arthritis Prevention: catalysing PlatfORm Trial, were addressed.
