New arthritis jab gives hope to millions

The drug is said to thicken cartilage by 37 per cent – greatly protecting joints from degeneration. A £10-a-day jab that can repair damaged joints could benefit millions crippled by osteoarthritis. The powerful drug is said to thicken cartilage by 37 per cent – greatly protecting joints from degeneration.
The medication, called Forsteo, or teriparatide, is made from a potent bone and joint-mending hormone.
It has been in use in the UK for eight years to build bone mass in those at risk of fracture, for example in patients suffering from the brittle bone disease osteoporosis.
The daily injection costs £271 a month for a maximum treatment period of 24 months.
It gives osteoporosis patients relief from pain and bone fractures for up to two years.
The jab works by increasing the action of the bone formation cells – osteoblasts – which speeds up bone formation, keeping bones strong. The breakthrough came after US researchers discovered the injection can also help build up the cartilage around joints, meaning it could be “reprogrammed” to treat arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of the condition, affects six million people in the UK.
It is caused by wear-and-tear damage to the joint surface, which can leave sufferers in constant agony.
In severe cases, joints are replaced with artificial implants but this new discovery means damaged joints could be repaired by patients simply taking the drug, rather than having to undergo lengthy ­operations.
Such treatment would save the NHS a fortune. It currently spends £1billion a year on knee replacement surgery alone.
Some patients even have to undergo two joint replacement operations because artificial hips or knee joints can wear out after just 15 years.
Osteoporosis, which affects around three million people in the UK, causes bones to become weak and brittle and women are especially susceptible after the menopause.
Women are also the main victims of osteoporosis.
This affects around three million people in the UK. The researchers at New York’s University of Rochester Medical Center noticed that occasionally, when a patient suffered from both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, the symptoms of arthritis would improve after taking Forsteo for osteoporosis.
This group reported less pain and a higher ability to function than a matched population of patients who were not taking the drug.
Currently the only treatments available for osteoarthritis, such as steroid injections, make the pain more bearable, but do nothing to improve the quality of the cartilage.
In experiments on mice the team found that when Forsteo was given every day for a month, the injured cartilage became about 32 per cent thicker, cell production was enhanced and genes and molecules associated with the degeneration of cartilage were suppressed. Dr Michael Zuscik, who co-authored the study, said: “We believe that a potential alternative to this cycle of pain and reduced quality of life has gone unnoticed for the past decade.
“Our experimental findings make a compelling case for further clinical study of this drug in the context of arthritis.”
He admitted that more studies were needed before its use could be extended to treat osteoarthritis as there have been concerns about the safety of Forsteo, which is made by the pharmaceutical giant Lilly.
It has been found to increase the risk of bone cancer in rats, which is why it is only prescribed for use up to two years.
His team’s findings are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Professor Phil Conaghan, from Arthritis Research UK, said: “We welcome anything that reduces the suffering of millions of people affected by this debilitating condition.
“However, we need to sound a big note of caution, as animal models of osteoarthritis are not like humans with osteoarthritis, and many agents that have worked and looked very promising in animals have not worked in human trials.”
Dr Claire Bowring, of the National Osteoporosis Society, said: “We look forward to further research to determine if this will be of benefit.”
As osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, it often begins with an injury and results in the progressive loss of cartilage.
This tough, flexible tissue covers the surface of joints, enabling bones to slide over one another while reducing friction and preventing any damage.