LONDON, ON – Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting roughly 10% of Canadians. This degradation of the joints is painful and crippling, especially when it affects the knee. Although there are viable OA treatment options, they are short-lived and can have serious side-effects. According to Lawson Health Research Institute's Dr. Robert Petrella, principal investigator in the COR1.0 study, the next generation of OA treatment has arrived.
When patients have OA in the knee, the fluid in their joint breaks down, causing pain and preventing natural shock absorption. To treat this condition, gel-like substances called "viscosupplements" are injected into the knee. This acts as a supplement for the fluid loss and provides temporary pain relief. In the COR1.0 study, Dr. Petrella and his colleagues compared Synvisc-One, the leading market viscosupplement for OA in the knee, to Hydros-TA Joint Therapy. Hydros-TA is a unique dual-action treatment combining steroids within a viscosupplement. It is believed to provide faster acting, longer lasting pain relief than either treatment alone.
To compare and evaluate the safety and effectiveness of both treatments, Dr. Petrella and his team conducted a double-blinded, multi-center clinical trial. Across eight sites in Canada, Belgium, and The Netherlands, a total of 98 patients were given a single injection and then monitored for six months. Results show trends suggesting Hydros-TA provides superior pain relief and improved function, causes fewer adverse events, and has a higher overall response rate. For patients, this could mean greater, more consistent pain relief with faster onset.
"Patients are really searching for better options for osteoarthritis therapy," Dr. Petrella explains. "Hydros-TA takes effect very quickly and lasts longer than other available therapies, allowing patients to achieve and sustain a higher quality of life."
Dr. Petrella and Carbylan BioSurgery Inc., the makers of Hydros-TA, are planning a larger multi-center trial to take place in the United States next year.
Dr. Petrella is the Assistant Director for Aging, Rehabilitation, and Geriatric Care (ARGC) at Lawson Health Research Institute, the Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in ARGC at The University of Western Ontario, and a physician at St. Joseph's Health Care London. He is also the Medical Director of the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, and currently holds a CIHR Chair in "Healthy Lifestyles: Healthy Aging." Dr. Petrella is also a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Medicine (Division of Cardiology), and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and the School of Kinesiology at The University of Western Ontario.
Lawson Health Research Institute. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care, London, and working in partnership with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. www.lawsonresearch.com
About Carbylan BioSurgery, Inc. Carbylan (www.carbylan.com) was founded in 2005 to develop and market medical devices and device/drug combination products based on novel chemically engineered polymer systems incorporating hyaluronic acid, a well-known polysaccharide widely present in the human body. Its initial market focus is therapeutic medical devices and combination products to treat the pain associated with osteoarthritis. Carbylan biopolymers are novel biomaterials which when combined with pharmaceutical agents enable the development of unique medical products.
For more information, please contact:
Sonya Gilpin
Communications & Public Relations
Lawson Health Research Institute
519-685-8500 ext. 75852
sonya.gilpin@lawsonresearch.com
www.lawsonresearch.com