Author Interviews, BMJ, Osteoporosis / 23.05.2017
Pharmaceutical Grade Chondroitin Sulfate As First-Line Treatment of Osteoarthritis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jean-Yves Reginster M.D.,PH.D.
Professor of Epidemiology, Public Health and Health Economics
Head of the Bone and Cartilage Metabolism Unit
University of Liège
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Whereas several recommendations, issued by scientific societies, recommend to use Symptom-Modifying Slow Acting Drugs (SYSADOAs) for the symptomatic and structural management of osteoarthritis, no medication is currently registered, in this particular indication, by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This study is the first study, conducted, with a SYSADOA which fully complies with the requirements of the EMA for the assessment of drugs to be used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, i.e. a six-month duration, two co-primary endpoints (pain and function) and a three-arm design, with a placebo and an active comparator. The main findings are that pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulfate provides an improvement in pain and function, which is greater than placebo and not distinguishable from celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug currently licensed for the symptomatic management of osteoarthritis.
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