Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disease in the world. OA is a non-inflammatory disorder of movable (articular) joints. As OA progresses, the imbalance between the synthesis and degradation of the articular cartilage results in increased deterioration or breakdown of the tissue. Breakdown of joint cartilage is essentially irreversible and results in joint pain and loss of mobility.

Today the treatment options for OA are largely restricted to symptomatic treatment of the pain associated with the disease. Few, if any, drugs are available with a documented ability to halt or reverse the destruction of cartilage and subchondral bone. In the late stages of the disease, joint replacement surgery remains the only treatment available to the patients. Thus, there is a substantial clinical need for new medical treatments with the ability to stop the progression of OA, and potentially reverse the damages of cartilage and bone inflicted by the disease.