Chondroitin Sulfate vs Celecoxib for Knee OA

Bioberica announced positive results from the MOSAIC Study that evaluated the use of chondroitin sulfate for knee osteoarthritis. Full findings from the study are published in Arthritis Research and Therapy.¹

The MOSAIC Study (24 MOnth study on Structural changes in knee osteoarthritis Assessed by MRI with Chondroitin sulfate; n=194; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01354145) was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled study that compared chondroitin sulfate and celecoxib. Study patients had knee osteoarthritis with inflammation and moderate pain. They were randomized to pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulfate 1200mg (CS b-Bioactive) daily or celecoxib (Celebrex; Pfizer) 200mg daily over a 2-year period. Three quantitative MRI (qMRI) scans were performed to assess the effects of the study drugs on loss of cartilage volume after 24 months.

The data indicated that chondroitin sulfate CS b-Bioactive was superior to celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug, in delaying the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Patients treated with CS b-Bioactive had statistically significantly less cartilage volume loss in the first year of treatment and for up to 2 years vs patients who received celecoxib. 

When comparing their effects on pain, function, stiffness, joint efflux and swelling, both treatments were shown to be comparable across the whole study. Celecoxib and CS b-Bioactive reached a clinically relevant improvement of symptoms of approximately 50%. 

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Reference

1. Pelletier J-P, Raynauld J-P, Beaulieu AD. Chondroitin sulfate efficacy versus celecoxib on knee osteoarthritis structural changes using magnetic resonance imaging: a 2-year multicentre exploratory study [Published online November 3, 2016]. Arthritis Res Ther. doi:10.1186/s13075-016-1149-0.

This article originally appeared on MPR