Osiris Reports Additional Results from Chondrogen Trial
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, NOVEMBER 29, 2007
Osiris announced results from an ongoing Chrondogen study this week, with enrolled patients showing less pain and fewer degenerative bone changes when compared to patients receiving HA.
Among the highlights:
- OA patients receiving Chondrogen experienced a statistically significant reduction in pain as compared to those receiving HA.
- Patients receiving the control were 3.5 times more likely to experience degenerative bone changes associated with OA as compared to those receiving Chondrogen.
- The effects were dose-dependent and pain scores improved from six months to one year following treatment.
- Chondrogen was well tolerated at both dose levels and there were no serious events associated with administration.
These are promising results from a study that has brought some disappointments. In February, Osiris
reported that interim results from the study showed that Chrondogen
failed to show a statistically significant increase in meniscal volume, though the company added that "an improvement in baseline cartilage and joint condition was noted in patients treated with the stem cell drug that was not seen in patients that received placebo," results that were echoed in this latest analysis of the data.
Often called the holy grail of orthopedics, cartilage regeneration continues to challenge Osiris, as well as peers developing other cartilage-repair products, such as TiGenix. However, pain relief is no minor benefit, and while it's not regeneration, treatments to reduce pain and potentially limit the progression of OA can help create better outcomes for patients while the quest for the cartilage repair goes on.
