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news.Ferring Pharmaceuticals has reported positive results of two studies on the effectiveness of Euflexxa, an intra-articular hyaluronic acid for the relief of pain in knee osteoarthritis.
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As a subset analysis of a larger double-blind trial, the study comparing Euflexxa and Synvisc demonstrated that an intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IA-HA) treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) is equally effective whether the disease severity is two or three on the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) radiographic scale. The study also showed a trend toward greater pain relief and patient satisfaction with Euflexxa. The K-L three patients treated with Euflexxa had numerically more improvement than those given Synvisc (33.6 versus 27.2), and reported greater satisfaction (3.24 versus 3.05 on a four-point scale).
The original study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial evaluating patients with confirmed knee OA and a K-L score of two or three, using the Womac pain subscale as the primary effectiveness measure. Both products were administered in three weekly injections. This subset analysis, comparing Synvisc with Euflexxa, uses the K-L radiographic scale to define disease severity and treatment groups to see if the pain caused by OA is more resistant or responsive to IA-HA treatment at different stages of OA.
The 167 patients with a K-L score of two had a mean change on the pain subscale of the Womac of 29.1; the 147 patients with a K-L score of three had a change of 30.2. The K-L two patients in both groups had comparable improvements (28.4 versus 29.9). Euflexxa patients also reported greater satisfaction (3.24 versus 3.04 on a four point scale.
The results of the second study revealed that patients perceive Euflexxa as being effective in reducing the amount that knee OA pain interferes with activities of daily living, as well as social and leisure activities, and maintains its effectiveness out to six months.
In this ongoing prospective study, 1,261 physicians gave survey materials to their patients eligible for Euflexxa. Patients voluntarily participated in a voice-response telephone survey about their condition at baseline, after three months, and after six months. A total of 161 patients (mean age 65) completed all three surveys.
Patients receiving Euflexxa reported a decrease in the amount that their knee pain interfered with their ADLs, with a mean baseline score of 5.8 (range of 0 – 10=interferes very much), decreasing to 3.7 at three months and maintaining at 3.9 at six months. Patients receiving Euflexxa also reported a decrease in the amount that their knee pain interfered with their social and leisure activities, with a mean baseline score of 5.6, decreasing to 3.6 at three months and maintaining at 3.7 at six months.