First Clinician In Wales To Offer Innovative Injection To Help Patients Suffering From Knee Osteoarthritis

Welsh patients who are experiencing pain and discomfort caused by knee osteoarthritis (OA) now have the opportunity to be treated with a new class of hydrogel injectable called Arthrosamid® available for the first time in Wales.

Consultant Orthopaedic  Surgeon, Mr Andrew Miller, is leading the way at St Joseph’s Hospital, Newport and Pro Sports Medicine, Cardiff, becoming the first clinician in Wales to treat patients with the pioneering, non-degradable injectable implant, which offers safe and sustained pain relief with a single injection – and crucially, a viable and evidence-based alternative to invasive open knee surgery.

Arthrosamid® is a polyacrylamide hydrogel developed by Contura International Ltd as a long lasting intra-articular injection, approved across Europe to treat knee osteoarthritis.  The treatment has the potential to change the present care pathway for managing OA, which affects over 880,000 people in Wales.¹  Current treatments, such as steroid injections, can have detrimental effects on the knee joint and, even if successful, the pain-relief provided can be short lived. For others, Total Knee Replacement surgery may be the only option available but with lengthy recovery times and the risk of repeat surgical procedures needed further down the line, this is often not the best choice for younger, active patients with significant pain and early osteoarthritis.

But, despite this large suffering population, there has been very little innovation in the range of OA treatments on offer to help patients – until now.

Mr Andrew Miller, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with a special interest in hip and knee conditions, including trauma and arthritis, explains; “Arthrosamid® represents an exciting new class of injectable treatment for osteoarthritis and so far has had excellent results. Many of the patients who I’ve treated recently have already come back to me asking for their other knee to be injected, which is testament to the rapid onset of pain relief and improved function this treatment provides.”

Eligible patients receive a single treatment – a 6ml dose of Athrosamid® – which is injected into the joint space to cushion the knee and relieve pain. Arthrosamid® becomes embedded in the synovial membrane², bringing pain relief and improved mobility within a few weeks³, decreasing stiffness and improved function of the knee affected by knee osteoarthritis.  The development of Arthrosamid® followed impressive clinical data with Arthramid® Vet, a related product of the company, used to treat lameness in horses since 2009.

New three-year data for Arthrosamid® presented at the 2023 OARSI World Congress in Denver, Colarado, USA, demonstrated the long-term efficacy of the injection – showing that a single injection of 6ml 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel Arthrosamid® maintained a statistically significant reduction in pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) three years after treatment⁴.

Mr Miller, who runs the “Early Arthritis Research Clinic” in collaboration with Cardiff University’s Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre, continues; “For many, knee osteoarthritis really is a debilitating condition, which can prevent people from taking part in the hobbies and pastimes they love, whether gardening, golf or walking the dog – as well as not being able to go to work or run around with the grandchildren without pain. We really have been waiting for an innovation such as this and the prospect of a new treatment option which will provide patients with an alternative to invasive surgery  – which is why I was so excited at being the first orthopaedic consultant based in Wales to be able to offer Arthrosamid.  With our extensive rural community in Wales, I’m receiving much interest from potential patients from equestrians who have heard about the inspiring ‘horses to humans’ journey of this ‘game-changing’ hydrogel. I’ve also treated several golfers –  in their early 60s – who were keen to get back on course as soon as possible and the results have been really encouraging.

“There’s little doubt that the current data behind Arthrosamid® is impressive, demonstrating the long-term benefits to patients for at least 3 years and I’m really hopeful that with further research and clinical studies, in time we’ll see Arthrosamid more widely accessible and rolled out to many more eligible patients, which could have a huge impact on the quality of life of thousands of people, as well as surgical waiting lists both here in Wales and across the UK.

Rakesh Tailor, CEO of Contura comments, “Andrew has a real expertise and knowledge of injectable therapies, as well as being a huge advocate of healthcare innovation and we’re therefore delighted that he’s now pioneering the use of Arthrosamid in Wales and is, indeed, the first clinician in the country to be treating patients with our hydrogel injection.

“With Andrew’s previous experience as an international sportsman himself and now his outstanding international reputation as a clinical researcher, we at Contura feel this is the perfect partnership and very much in line with our strategy to expand our network of expert clinicians. Since our launch, over 2,000 ‘doses’ of Arthrosamid have already been administered across Europe and we’ve had many enquiries from patients in Wales seeking more information about potential treatment. So, we know that there is demand for a non-invasive treatment option for knee OA in the area and are thrilled that patients now have an accessible option.” 

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References:

1. https://www.versusarthritis.org/media/23401/wales-versus-arthritis-manifesto-21.pdf
2. Christensen, L., et al. (2016). Histological Appearance of the Synovial Membrane after Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis with Polyacrylamide Gel Injections: A Case Report. Journal of Arthritis. Vol 5: 217.
3. Bliddal, H, Overgaard, A, Hartkopp, A et al. (2021) Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis: A 6 Months Prospective Study. Journal of Orthopeadic Research and Therapy, 6 (2). 1188. ISSN 2575-8241.
4. Henriksen, M. et al. (2023). 3 year results from a prospective study of polyacrylamide hydrogel for knee osteoarthritis.. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 31(5), P682–683. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2023.02.023.