Study finds best anti-inflammatory for delaying knee osteoarthritis’ progression

SAN FRANCISCO — Chondroitin sulfate is superior to an anti-inflammatory drug like celecoxib for delaying the progression of knee osteoarthritis, according to a new study presented by Jean-Pierre Pelletier, from the University of Montreal (Canada), at the official press conference of the Annual meeting of the American Academy of Rheumatology here on Monday. 

 

The study, named MOSAIC, was a multicenter, randomized, double blind, controlled and comparative study analyzing chondroitin sulfate and celecoxib. Lasting more than three years, the study was carried out in five medical centers in Quebec in collaboration with Bioiberica. The study recruited 194 patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis with inflammation (synovitis) and moderate pain. Participants were divided into two groups: the first group received 1,200 mg of pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulfate (made by Bioiberica) per day, while the second group received 200 mg of celecoxib (made by Pfizer) per day, over a two-year period. The participants underwent three Quantitative Magnetic Resonance scans: one at the beginning of the study, a second one after one year, and a third one at the end of the study.

 

The results revealed that the progression of knee osteoarthritis is slower in patients receiving chondroitin sulfate. More precisely, this group experienced a statistically significant lower loss of cartilage volume after the first year of treatment, in comparison with those patients who received the anti inflammatory drug. “This data proves that chondroitin sulfate may delay the advance of osteoarthritis in the long term, and that it had a disease-modifying effect,” affirmed Pelletier.

 

The study also evaluated the effects of both drugs on pain, function, stiffness, joint efflux and swelling; concluding that both treatments were equally efficient across the entire study, reaching a clinically relevant symptom improvement of around 50%. 

 

“The study confirmed that both drugs are efficient for the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms, although only chondroitin sulfate has the additional advantage of exerting a joint protection effect and a better safety profile,” Pelletier said.