Sprifermin offers benefit for cartilage loss from knee osteoarthritis

In a new study in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, at 12 months, total femorotibial cartilage thickness loss was reduced in sprifermin (recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 18)-treated knees compared to placebo-treated knees, with effects being significant in the lateral femorotibial compartment but not in the central femorotibial compartment.

Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), showed that sprifermin dosed at 100µg reduced loss of cartilage thickness and volume in the total femorotibial joint and in the lateral knee compartment (outside of the knee).

The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimates that OA affects 150 million people around the world, with the ACR reporting 27 million Americans over 25 years of age diagnosed with the disease. While OA is the most common cause of physical disability in older adults, studies suggest that the average age at diagnosis is…