A single injection of an experimental long-acting steroid developed by Canadian biotech Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals eased pain from arthritis of the knee for months in a mid-stage trial, researchers reported.
Currently available steroid injections only relieve pain for a week or two at most, earlier studies have shown.
In a trial of 318 adults with knee osteoarthritis, patients received either one injection into the joint of 25 milligrams of Eupraxia's EP-104IAR, which is an extended-release form of fluticasone propionate, or a placebo.
Twelve weeks later, those who got the drug had significantly greater pain relief and improvements in knee function than the placebo group, according to a report of the study published in The Lancet Rheumatology.
The improvements had persisted at 14 weeks, and some were still evident at week 24, the researchers said.
The drug’s effects on blood sugar and hormone levels were minimal, they said.
Eupraxia, which develops locally delivered, extended-release alternatives to currently approved drugs, said a larger, Phase III trial of EP-104IAR is already underway.