Tired of the knee pain? It’s time to be happy people as according to a new data, it has been showed that a synthetic version of a medicine usually extracted from the spicy chilli can relieve knee pain among osteoarthritis patients for up to six months. This brings Centrexion Therapeutics a step closer to developing a safe and effective painkiller. The data showed that the drug induced statistically significant pain relief as well as reduced knee stiffness and improved physical function at 24 weeks after a single injection.
The drug is being developed by the privately-held company run by former Pfizer Inc chief executive Jeffrey Kindler. It is a man-made version of chilli plant extract trans-capsaicin and is designed to work by inactivating local pain fibers transmitting signals to the brain. The mid-stage trial tested two doses of the drug on patients who were unable to tolerate pain therapy.
Patients on the 1mg dose saw a significant reduction in daily pain.
Osteoarthritis is caused by the progressive breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage, and characterised by pain, swelling and decreased mobility of the affected joint. It can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe. It is one of the most common chronic diseases of the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs in people of all the ages but is mostly common in people older than 65 years. Common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genes.
