CRx-102 shows efficacy in osteoarthritis study

USA-based biopharmaceutical company CombinatoRx says that the results of a trial of CRx-102 in patients with osteoarthritis of the hand show that the compound conferred a statistically-significant improvement in pain relief and physical function. The findings, which were announced at the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, were from a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II assessment of the compound.

The drug is an orally-available treatment for immuno-inflammatory diseases, which combines low doses of the steroid prednisolone and dipyridamole to act synergistically to bring about anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory treatment of the condition. During the trial, efficacy was assessed using a patient assessment questionnaire and clinical measure of joint stiffness and function.

CombinatoRx said that the drug was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. Headache and nausea, which have both been linked to dipyridamole in previous studies, occurred in more than 5% of the patient population. The firm added that, based on these data, it would initiate further studies of the drug in the near future.