Apmar

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAM

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGACAA

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

Keywords

• Patient advocacy services
• Rheumatology patient support
• Rare disease association
• Chronic illness helpline
• Nonprofit health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lecce

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees (quota sociale) from ordinary members and supporter members. Assembly documents reference quota deliberation for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.
2. Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the association's mission, including online donations via PayPal and solidarity bomboniere (party favors).
3. 5x1000 Tax Designation: Italian tax designation program where taxpayers can assign 0.5% of their tax to APMARR, used to fund research scholarships.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Pharmaceutical company contributions including AbbVie (website update), Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, UCB (video production).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Patient Association Academy (PAA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025APMARR 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 InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2020Collaboration protocol signed for osteoarthritis awareness and patient support initiatives.
• Angeli in MotominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2020Partnership for free delivery of medications and essential goods to vulnerable APMARR patients during COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing support.
• AIP - Associazione Italiana PodologicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 RaremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerItaly'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 SclerodermiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of scleroderma awareness events including the multidisciplinary approach conference at L'Aquila University on June 27, 2024.
• FederfarmamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the 'Reuma che? Parlane con il tuo farmacista' campaign, educating pharmacists about rheumatological disease symptoms to improve early detection.
• CReI - Collegio Reumatologi ItalianicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with Italian rheumatologists including joint events, conferences, and advocacy for rheumatology healthcare policy improvements.
• AbbVieminorOthersContributed to the liberal update of APMARR's institutional website.
• Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, UCBminorOthersPharmaceutical 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)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking 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 FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPMARR 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 FacilitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnerships 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

Regional 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/apmarr
• Facebookfacebook.com/apmarr.italia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apmar
• Xx.com/apmarr_italia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Apmar