US FDA approves Anika's Monovisc for osteoarthritis pain of the knee

US drugmaker Anika Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ANIK) has received marketing approval for Monovisc from the US Food and Drug Administration. Monovisc is a single injection supplement to synovial fluid of the osteoarthritic joint, used to treat pain and improve joint mobility in patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

Monovisc is the first FDA approved single injection product with HA from a non-animal source. It is comprised of a sterile, clear, biocompatible, resorbable, viscoelastic fluid composed of partially cross-linked sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) in phosphate buffered saline.

To be marketed by DePuy’s Mitek unit