An injection of the drug into the knee joints of people with OA increased cartilage thickness, compared to patients receiving placebo. However, pain and function did not improve.
Over a 2-year period, patients who received sprifermin at the higher doses experienced statistically significant thickening of the cartilage; compared to patients receiving placebo, who instead experienced a reduction in cartilage.
Dr. Loeser, who is a leading national osteoarthritis researcher, and director of the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center, told Medscape Medical News that while he was excited by the fact that the drug can thicken cartilage, it was disappointing that the secondary endpoint (improvement in pain and function) was not met.
Nonetheless, Dr. Loeser noted that this is the first study to document a “benefit for structure in a really well-done clinical trial. That’s a breakthrough.”
Dr. Loeser was not involved in the clinical trial.
Learn more by reading the article published today in Medscape Medical News.