Amgen Korea Launches Korea's First Website Dedicated to 'Thyroid Eye Disease'

Expanding Access to Information for Patients and Caregivers

Amgen Korea announced on October 6 that it had launched Korea's first website dedicated to thyroid eye disease, also known as thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, a severe rare autoimmune disease, to provide accurate information about the condition.

Main page of a website specializing in thyroid eye disease. Amgen Korea

Thyroid eye disease is a rare autoimmune disease that can cause impaired visual function and changes in appearance due to an abnormality in the immune system. Its main symptoms include inflammation and swelling of the muscles and fatty tissue around the eyes, which can lead to proptosis, diplopia (double vision), and eyelid retraction.

Because the disease can cause both impaired visual function and changes in appearance, it places a significant psychological and social burden on patients. If the appropriate time for treatment is missed, changes in appearance and vision loss may become permanent, making prompt diagnosis and treatment important. However, because it is a rare disease with an incidence of just 25 cases per 100,000 people (0.025%), awareness is low. Its early symptoms also resemble those of other eye conditions, such as conjunctivitis and dry eye, and diagnosis is often delayed.

The website launched by Amgen Korea is designed to enable patients and caregivers to easily find reliable information about the disease in one place. It provides information on the condition as a whole, including ▲how it develops and its risk factors ▲key symptoms and stages of progression ▲diagnosis and treatment options ▲ways to manage the disease in daily life. In particular, medical professionals explain the disease and answer questions that patients frequently ask during consultations, helping patients and caregivers gain a more accurate understanding of the condition. The site also features disease-management guides using various visual materials, including images, videos, and infographics, and provides detailed information on how thyroid eye disease differs from other thyroid conditions that can be easily confused with it.

Shin Suhee, CEO of Amgen Korea, said, "Severe thyroid eye disease can seriously restrict patients' daily lives as well as their social and economic activities, but patients have had difficulty accessing enough reliable information. We hope the newly launched website will make it easier for patients and caregivers to understand the information they need accurately and help lead to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.