Prospects for Therapies in Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Management of OA involves pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Conventional pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy and are associated with a number of side-effects, restricting the number of patients who can use them. New pharmacological therapies for managing OA are required and a number have been developed targeting different tissues in OA: bone and cartilage, synovium and nerves. However, there has been overall limited success. Disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) are a putative class of therapies aimed at improving OA structural pathologies and consequent symptoms. Recent DMOAD studies have demonstrated some promising therapies but also provided new considerations for future trials.

Automated summary

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, debilitating disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and management involves both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Traditional pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy and come with side effects, leading to the need for new therapies. Disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) show promise in improving OA symptoms.