Topical Solution for Osteoarthritis May Challenge COX-2 Inhibitors
We are starting to see a large number of “miracle” creams for arthritis hitting the market. Remembering back to the old Ben-gay type preparations, these were purely skin irritants designed to flood the spinal cord with “touch” sensations and prevent pain transmissions for reaching the spinal cord first. New preparations have included many additional topicals ranging from glucosamine/chondroitin to capsaicin. The studies on these types of therapies, to my knowledge, are still scarce. However, the safety of many of these topicals is very good and may warrant a personal clinical trial.
(article) British biotechnology firm Provalis plans to launch its novel topical osteoarthritis solution Pennsaid in the UK this month, saying the product will compete with all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including COX-2 inhibitors. The UK is the first market for the new product. Provalis has acquired from Canadian firm Dimethaid research the right to sell the compound in the UK and Ireland. Provalis chief executive Dr. Phil Gould told a news conference in London that Pennsaid had been approved for first-line treatment of osteoarthritis by the UK’s Medicines Control Agency and would be approved in the rest of Europe under the mutual recognition procedure. Dimethaid is seeking distributors for the other European countries and has signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson for marketing in the United States. Dimethaid’s technology uses the cell’s tubule system to deliver drugs cell-to-cell. As a result, localised conditions, such as osteoarthritis, can be treated while limiting the body’s absorption of the medication. Dr. Gould said that comparative data showed that pain relief is as least as good with Pennsaid as with the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib and oral formulations of the NSAIDs diclofenac and naproxen.