A DAILY pill which halts the disabling bone loss caused by osteoarthritis is being hailed as a new dawn in the treatment of the disease.
The new drug has excited scientists after trials showed that after just six months it reduced bone damage around knee joints and also maintained cartilage thickness.
It is the first time a drug has been shown to tackle underlying bone structure changes in diseased joints.
Current treatments have aimed only at helping patients manage pain symptoms.
The pan-European study was carried out over six months with 244 patients aged between 40 and 80 with osteoarthritis in the knee.
Lead investigator Philip Conaghan, Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Leeds, said: “These results are enormously exciting.
An arthritis pill believed to disable bone loss and damage is being hailed as a new treatment.
“This drug heralds a new dawn in the treatment of this disease as it is the first evidence we have of a drug which can have a significant benefit on the structure of the bone.”
Professor Conaghan, previously chairman of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence group on the management of osteoarthritis, added: “We now need larger studies to replicate these findings, the results of which we hope will open up a new class of drug.”
The treatment, known as M1V-711, is based on a molecule involved in the turnover of bone and cartilage in the joints. It works by interfering with the process that leads to joint breakdown.
It was tested against patients given a placebo and after six months those receiving the treatment showed a 65 per cent reduction in bone loss.
Those on the dummy pills showed slight increases in bone loss. The drug, which was shown to have relatively few side effects, also halted cartilage loss, with those on low doses experiencing a 70 per cent reduction in cartilage thickness and those on higher doses showing a slight increase in cartilage thickness.
Trials showed that after just six months it reduced bone damage around knee joints
Experts hope over a longer period the results may be greater, and could have an impact on significantly reducing pain from the condition.
The results of the trial are likely to be revealed next month at a conference in San Diego.
The news comes as experts call for an end to the widespread long-term use of painkillers such as paracetamol and antiinflammatories such as ibuprofen for osteo arthritis, following research showing they may be doing more harm than good.
Current guidance from Nice still recommends paracetamol and anti-infl ammatories as treatments for this disabling condition.
However, in one large US study people who regularly took paracetamol over 12 years had a 35 per cent increased risk of a stroke or fatal heart attack.
Other recent studies have linked long term use of anti-inflammatory drugs to an increased risk of stomach ulcers and kidney failure.
The drug is the first to have tackled underlying bone structure changes in diseased joints
One of the UK’s leading experts on arthritis, Dr Rod Hughes, former president of rheumatology at The Royal Society of Medicine, said: “There are numerous side effects linked with anti-infl ammatory drugs and we need to look at safer longterm alternatives for those living with joint pain.”
He also highlighted research which shows a derivative of rosehip can dramatically reduce arthritis joint pain.
Laboratory studies of the treatment, called Gopo, suggests it dampens tissue inflammation.
Patient studies show the food supplement improved joint mobility and reduced pain by up to 80 per cent for those who used it for at least three months.
Former footballer Mark Beard, 42, who played for Millwall and Sheffield United, says using Gopo dramatically reduced the severe and disabling pain he suffered as he came to the end of his career.
The treatment works by interfering with the process that leads to joint breakdown
Mr Beard, now full-time coach at Brighton FC and who also boxes to raise money for charity, had multiple injuries that led to severe pain in his ankles, knees, wrist, back and other joints that sometimes left him bedridden.
He said: “I had lots of pain. Sometimes I struggled to walk downstairs and could barely grip a pen.”
He says taking Gopo has transformed his life.
“I swear by it and so do many ex-footballers.”