Apmar
APMARR is an Italian nonprofit patient association founded in 1984, supporting individuals with rheumatological and rare diseases through free screening, psychological counseling, advocacy, and education across Italy. It is volunteer-driven and funded by memberships, donations, tax designations, and pharma sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLecce, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Apmar does
APMARR (Associazione Nazionale Persone con Malattie Reumatologiche e Rare APS-ETS) is an Italian nonprofit patient association founded in 1984 and headquartered in Lecce, Italy, dedicated to supporting individuals affected by rheumatological and rare diseases. The organization operates primarily through a volunteer-driven model, with a small core staff of 1-10 supported by trained volunteers, psychologists, rheumatologists, and pediatric rheumatologists who staff the Numero Verde free helpline established in 2010. APMARR's service portfolio centers on patient support, advocacy, and education: it runs free rheumatologic screening days across Italian hospitals, offers remote psychological support via the PsyDit digital platform, publishes the Morfologie magazine, and maintains the Clinical Trial Observatory (Clinical Map) search engine for trial access. It also runs educational projects such as Vocabolario della Reumatologia and prevention campaigns including Prevenire con la Vaccinazione and Progetto SOSTA.
APMARR's revenue model relies on four diversified streams: recurring annual membership fees, individual donations (including via PayPal and Wishraiser, and solidarity bomboniere), the Italian 5x1000 tax designation program funding research scholarships, and conditional corporate contributions from pharmaceutical sponsors including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and UCB. The association is registered as an APS-ETS in Italy's RUNTS third-sector registry (Repertorio 100206), granting it legal personality and tax-advantaged status.
The organization operates a community-led, event-driven go-to-market motion, reaching members through awareness campaigns tied to World Disease Days, regional conferences, local screening events, webinars, and direct-to-patient engagement via the helpline. Its primary customer segments are patients with rheumatological conditions (arthritis, spondyloarthritis, lupus, scleroderma, fibromyalgia), patients with rare rheumatological diseases under the IMPA-RARE framework, pediatric rheumatology patients and their caregivers, and healthcare system stakeholders engaged through advocacy. APMARR holds strategic partnerships with CReI, Federfarma, AIP, AILS, O.MA.R, ASIF, ANMAR, FESCA, and the Patient Association Academy, positioning itself as the convening national patient association across both rheumatology and rare disease verticals.
Apmar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apmar
- Legal name
- APMARR Associazione Nazionale Persone con Malattie Reumatologiche e Rare APS-ETS
- Website
- https://apmarr.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- APMARR is an Italian nonprofit patient association founded in 1984, supporting individuals with rheumatological and rare diseases through free screening, psychological counseling, advocacy, and education across Italy. It is volunteer-driven and funded by memberships, donations, tax designations, and pharma sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apmar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Advocacy Services (Rheumatology and Rare Diseases)
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
Keywords
Where Apmar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lecce
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Apmar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees (quota sociale) from ordinary members and supporter members. Assembly documents reference quota deliberation for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.
- Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the association's mission, including online donations via PayPal and solidarity bomboniere (party favors).
- 5x1000 Tax Designation: Italian tax designation program where taxpayers can assign 0.5% of their tax to APMARR, used to fund research scholarships.
- Corporate Partnerships: Pharmaceutical company contributions including AbbVie (website update), Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, UCB (video production).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership fee determined by assembly |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Apmar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
APMARR is a nonprofit patient association (Associazione di Promozione Sociale - ETS) that provides coordinated support services to people living with rheumatological and rare diseases in Italy. Core offerings include a toll-free Numero Verde helpline staffed by volunteers and medical specialists, the PsyDit online psychological support platform, free rheumatologic screening events at hospitals across Italy, the Vocabolario della Reumatologia educational project, and a clinical trial observatory (ClinicalMap). The association also publishes the Morfologie magazine and runs awareness campaigns on vaccination and sustainable health.
Product overview
APMARR (Associazione Nazionale Persone con Malattie Reumatologiche e Rare) is a non-profit patient association offering a coordinated portfolio of support services rather than a commercial product platform. The core offerings include PSYDIT for online psychological support, a Numero Verde helpline staffed by medical professionals, rheumatologic screening programs, and the Vocabolario della Reumatologia educational resource. The association publishes MORFOLOGIE magazine, runs awareness campaigns like Prevenire con la Vaccinazione and Progetto SOSTA, operates a clinical trial research observatory, and maintains agreements with specialist healthcare facilities. These services work together to support patients with rheumatologic and rare diseases through information, psychological support, healthcare access, and community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PsyDit - Online Psychological Support A digital platform providing a protected online environment for psychologists and patients to communicate and conduct remote psychological support sessions, serving members with rheumatological and rare diseases who need mental health support.
- Numero Verde APMARR (Toll-Free Helpline) A free toll-free telephone helpline (established 2010) staffed by trained volunteers and medical specialists who provide information on association activities, pathologies, therapies, healthcare centers, and patient rights. Active Monday-Friday 9:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:00; over 10,000 calls handled since launch.
- Rheumatologic Screening Days (Giornate di Screening Reumatologici) Free rheumatologic screening days offering capillaroscopy exams and specialist consultations for early detection of conditions like scleroderma and musculoskeletal diseases, organized at hospitals across multiple Italian cities including Lecce, Bari, Siena, and L'Aquila.
- Vocabolario della Reumatologia An educational project for patients and caregivers providing videos and explanatory materials that define and explain rheumatology terminology to improve disease literacy and patient empowerment.
- Morfologie Magazine The association's official magazine featuring articles on rheumatologic diseases, patient stories, medical interviews, and advocacy initiatives; reached its 50th issue in 2025.
- Clinical Trial Research Observatory (ClinicalMap) An online clinical trial research observatory that provides Italian-language access to ClinicalMap, a search engine for the world's largest clinical trials database, helping patients and clinicians identify relevant trials.
- Convenzioni with Specialist Healthcare Facilities Agreements with hotels, thermal spas (terme), and multi-specialty centers (centri polispecialistici) providing discounted services to APMARR association members across Italy.
- Sport Therapy Program Sports therapy program promoting physical activity as part of rheumatologic disease management for association members and patients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10,000 calls answered through the free Numero Verde hotline since 2010
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Apmar
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Apmar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Apmar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Patient Association Academy (PAA)majorAPMARR participates in this unique Italian model designed to strengthen the voice of patient associations within the healthcare system, celebrating its first anniversary in July 2025.
- Osteoarthritis Foundation InternationalminorCollaboration protocol signed for osteoarthritis awareness and patient support initiatives.
- Angeli in MotominorPartnership for free delivery of medications and essential goods to vulnerable APMARR patients during COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing support.
- AIP - Associazione Italiana PodologicorePartnership for podiatric screening initiatives for rheumatology patients. Organized free first podiatric visits during May 2026 screening campaign with AIP-affiliated podiatrists offering services in their clinics.
- O.MA.R - Osservatorio Malattie RaremajorItaly's first and only news agency dedicated to rare diseases and rare tumors. O.MA.R provides information services to APMARR members about rare disease news, research, and healthcare services.
- AILS - Associazione Italiana Lotta alla SclerodermiacoreJoint organization of scleroderma awareness events including the multidisciplinary approach conference at L'Aquila University on June 27, 2024.
- FederfarmamajorPartnership for the 'Reuma che? Parlane con il tuo farmacista' campaign, educating pharmacists about rheumatological disease symptoms to improve early detection.
- CReI - Collegio Reumatologi ItalianicoreOngoing collaboration with Italian rheumatologists including joint events, conferences, and advocacy for rheumatology healthcare policy improvements.
- AbbVieminorContributed to the liberal update of APMARR's institutional website.
- Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, UCBminorPharmaceutical companies providing unconditional contributions for the production of educational video about the journey of a new drug from laboratory to patient.
- Rheuma Care Academy (RCA)majorWorking group formed by patient association representatives, clinicians, and scientific societies. APMARR contributed to the 'Futurist Manifesto of Rheumatic Diseases' presented at the Ministry of Health.
- ASIF - Axial Spondyloarthritis International FederationmajorAPMARR is one of the two Italian patient associations that are members of this international federation, participating in World AS Day awareness campaigns.
- Various Italian Healthcare FacilitiescorePartnerships with hospitals across Italy including San Paolo Hospital (Bari), San Salvatore Hospital (L'Aquila), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Senese (Siena), and others for screening events and patient services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Apmar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- AISF (Associazione Italiana Sindrome Fibromialgica): Italian association focused specifically on fibromyalgia, a condition also addressed within APMARR's rheumatic disease mandate. Comparable as a domestic specialty patient association sharing the same patient pool and sponsor base.
Others
- O.MA.R (Osservatorio Malattie Rare): Italy's first news agency dedicated to rare diseases and rare tumors. APMARR has an information-sharing partnership with O.MA.R, making it an adjacent ecosystem player in rare disease communications.
- Federfarma: National federation of Italian pharmacy owners. APMARR partnered with Federfarma on the 'Reuma che? Parlane con il tuo farmacista' pharmacist awareness campaign, making it an adjacent enabling partner rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- ANMAR (Associazione Nazionale Malati Reumatici): The principal Italian national patient association for rheumatic diseases. Directly comparable as a domestic nonprofit advocating for the same patient population and competing for the same pharma sponsorship, policy access, and 5x1000 donations.
- AILS (Associazione Italiana Lotta alla Sclerodermia): Italian patient association dedicated to scleroderma. APMARR partners with AILS on joint awareness events and shares the scleroderma patient community; it is a direct disease-specific peer within APMARR's own portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- FESCA (Federation of European Scleroderma Associations): European umbrella federation of scleroderma patient associations, of which AILS is the Italian member. Comparable as a supranational advocacy body operating in the same rare rheumatology space as APMARR's IMPA-RARE work.
- Lupus Europe: European federation of national lupus patient associations. Comparable as an international umbrella addressing one of the disease areas APMARR covers, and a potential partner or competitor for European-level lupus advocacy.
- ASIF (Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation): International federation for axial spondyloarthritis patient associations. APMARR is one of two Italian member associations and jointly coordinates World Axial Spondyloarthritis Day activities.
- EURORDIS (European Organisation for Rare Diseases): Europe-wide alliance of rare disease patient organizations. APMARR's IMPA-RARE work and partnership with O.MA.R align it with the EURORDIS ecosystem for policy advocacy, EU grants, and rare-disease awareness.
Emerging players
- APMMC (Associazione Persone con Malattie Croniche): Italian chronic disease patient umbrella. Comparable as a domestic nonprofit representing overlapping chronic patient populations and competing for the same individual-donor and 5x1000 funding pool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apmar social profiles
Digital presenceApmar compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Apmar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apmar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Apmar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apmar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apmar
What does Apmar do?
APMARR is a nonprofit patient association (Associazione di Promozione Sociale - ETS) that provides coordinated support services to people living with rheumatological and rare diseases in Italy. Core offerings include a toll-free Numero Verde helpline staffed by volunteers and medical specialists, the PsyDit online psychological support platform, free rheumatologic screening events at hospitals across Italy, the Vocabolario della Reumatologia educational project, and a clinical trial observatory (ClinicalMap). The association also publishes the Morfologie magazine and runs awareness campaigns on vaccination and sustainable health.
Is Apmar a public or private company?
Apmar is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Apmar founded?
Apmar was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Apmar based?
Apmar is headquartered in Lecce, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Apmar make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, 5x1000 Tax Designation and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Apmar's main competitors?
AISF (Associazione Italiana Sindrome Fibromialgica) is listed as a regional player. Others are O.MA.R (Osservatorio Malattie Rare) and Federfarma. Direct peers are ANMAR (Associazione Nazionale Malati Reumatici) and AILS (Associazione Italiana Lotta alla Sclerodermia). Broad incumbents are FESCA (Federation of European Scleroderma Associations), Lupus Europe, ASIF (Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation) and EURORDIS (European Organisation for Rare Diseases). APMMC (Associazione Persone con Malattie Croniche) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Apmar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Apmar.
What industry is Apmar in?
Apmar's product category is Patient Advocacy Services (Rheumatology and Rare Diseases). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAM, Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS). Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.