The combination of chondroitin and glucosamine acts with the same efficacy as Celecoxib in patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis having a major inflammatory component
This is the most important conclusion drawn from the post-hoc analysis of the MOVES clinical trial which was presented today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Rheumatology.
The results showed that the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine has an important symptomatic and anti-inflammatory effect, with its effect having an efficacy comparable to that of Celecoxib, especially in patients suffering from advanced osteoarthritis with a major inflammatory component.
Due to its high safety profile, this combination may be the treatment of choice for polymedicated OA patients suffering from other comorbidities.
The main objective of this post-hoc analysis of the MOVES clinical essay was to analyze the efficacy of both treatments in the reduction of severe pain (>300 on the WOMAC index) in different sub groups of patients. More precisely, there were observed differences depending on the radiological grade of osteoarthritis (grade 2 or 3 in the Kellgren-Lawrence scale), and depending of the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels (<3mg/L o >3mg/L), which are markers of joint level inflammation.
The results showed that in the group of grade 3 patients, as well as in the group of patients having elevated levels of CRP (>3mg/L), the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine had the same efficacy, from the very beginning and along the entire trial, affirmed Professor Marc C. Hochberg, rheumatologist at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Maryland (Baltimore, USA), during the presentation of results carried out during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Rheumatology currently held at Boston, Massachusetts.
More precisely, the analysis shows that both Celecoxib and the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine act equally with regard to the improvement of OA pain. Furthermore, there are no observable differences between them at any of the stages of the trial (1, 2, 4 and 6 months) in these patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis with major inflammatory component. If we take into account that both drugs have comparable efficacy, the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine becomes a key treatment option for polymedicated patients having comorbidities, because its safety profile is superior to that of anti inflammatory drugs, affirmed Professor Hochberg.
Background
MOVES (Multicentre Osteoarthritis interVEntion trial with Sysadoa) is a multicentric, non-inferiority, randomized, double blind, parallel group clinical trial led by Bioiberica Farma that recruited 606 patients suffering from primary knee osteoarthritis and moderate to severe pain from medical centers in Spain, Germany, France and Poland. The main aim is to demonstrate that the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine has an efficacy comparable to that of Celecoxib in the treatment of moderate to severe pain in knee OA patients. Patients received 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate and 1500 mg of hydrochlorure of glucosamine per day, or 200 mg of Celecoxib (anti-inflammatory) over a six-month period. The main conclusion of the clinical trial is that the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine has an efficacy comparable to that of Celecoxib after six months of treatment.
Bioiberica is the only Spanish company that is present at the Educational Programme of the American College of Rheumatology. To be more precise, this is the eight symposium hosted by Bioiberica during this meeting.
