"We are pleased to announce the initiation of Phase III trials for oral calcitonin, which may represent the first disease-modifying drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis," said Michael V. Novinski, President & CEO of Emisphere. "Currently, there are no available treatment options for osteoarthritis that actually help prevent disease progression or joint damage, and we are excited to be at the leading edge of research in this area. An unmet need facing osteoarthritis patients and physicians today is the lack of any proven disease-modifying drug for osteoarthritis. Oral Calcitonin would help prevent structural damage in at-risk joints, or the progression of structural damage in joints already affected. Current treatment options for osteoarthritis provide only symptomatic relief"(iii).
In osteoarthritis, oral calcitonin may stimulate a protective effect that helps maintain the quality of cartilage and reduce the progression of joint space narrowing(iv). Oral calcitonin also has been shown to protect against cartilage breakdown in animal models.
The Phase III clinical program is being conducted by Nordic Bioscience both in the European Union and in the US, and is planned to include more than 2000 patients.
Click on this link for complete story.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=72078
Thank you for this information. Have the US candidates for the study already been chosen? If not, how do we volunteer for the study? Also, if this treatment proves effective, how long will it take to reach the market for use?