Promotional feature
A novel injectable treatment for knee osteoarthritis that harnesses non-biodegradable hydrogel technology – Arthrosamid® – was officially launched to the UK market at the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) Annual Congress, 21st-24th September 2021.
Pioneered by Contura International Ltd, [international manufacturers of therapeutic hydrogels], Arthrosamid® offers an alternative to current therapies and fulfils an unmet clinical need for an effective, long acting, safe and minimally invasive treatment to alleviate pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
The treatment has the potential to change the present care pathway for managing OA, which affects approximately 8.5 million people in the UK [1]. Around 1 in every 5 people aged over 45 in England is affected by knee osteoarthritis[2] and current treatments are not long lasting or involve invasive knee replacement surgery. Despite a large suffering population, there has been very little innovation in the range of OA treatments on offer to meaningfully help patients – until now.
Consisting of 2.5% cross-linked polyacrylamide and 97.5% non-pyrogenic water, a 6ml dose of Arthrosamid® is injected into the joint space to cushion the knee and relieve pain in one single treatment[3]. Patients can expect to see improved mobility and pain relief within days where the effect is long lasting[4].
A number of clinical studies have been completed into Arthrosamid® with further trials ongoing:
- A prospective open label study[5], “IDA”, demonstrated Arthrosamid®’s effect in reducing pain at 6 months, which was maintained at 12 months. This trial, together with the safety and performance data established for the hydrogel technology, satisfied European regulatory authorities to grant approval (CE Mark) to Arthrosamid® for the symptomatic treatment of patients with knee OA. Data published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage in 2021 found that over 70% of patients had a positive experience of treatment, exceeding a minimal clinically important difference, with a reduction in pain, stiffness and physical mobility at 6 months with pain and physical function maintained beyond one year.[6]
- Positive results from a separate multi-centred, randomised, controlled 1-year clinical study, “ROSA”, of