Novel implantable shock absorbing device to relieve pain and delay progression of knee osteoarthritis

Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) could now delay or avoid knee replacement surgery with the help of a new shock absorbing device that can be implanted alongside the knee joint.  The Wexner Medical Center at the Ohio State University becomes the first center in US to implant the CalypsoKnee System to address the pain of the osteoarthritic knee.

Developed by Moximed, a company based in Fremont, California, a prospective, multicentric clinical trial is underway to look at the ability of the device to extend the life of knee joint and enable the patients to lead a pain-free, comfortable life.

The system is put in place under the skin, alongside the medial side of the affected knee through a small incision. The ligaments and bones forming the knee joints are preserved, keeping options open for any future surgical interventions.

With more than 700,000 knee replacement surgeries performed in the U.S. every year, the Calypso Knee System could reverse the trend and delay or avoid the replacement surgery.  

Dr. David Flanigan, an orthopedic surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who performed the surgery said in a news release, “ It works like a shock absorber to take pressure off the inside of the knee while creating a cushion similar to what cartilage provides in a healthy joint. The hope is that it increases joint functionality, reduces pain and delays a total knee arthroplasty for years or even decades.”

If found successful, it will soon be available as an option to knee replacement for osteoarthritic patients across the country.

The video shows how the system works in our body

Here is a video with more information on the first patient fitted with the system

Product page

Ohio state university press release

News from ACOG 2018: Elagolix promises long-term safety and efficacy in the treatment of Endometriosis

Elagolix, The first oral drug Elagolix showed promising results in the treatment of three types of pain in endometriosis reports the results of a study presented at the annual clinical and scientific meeting of the annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at Austin, Texas.

Elagolix, is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist manufactured by AbbVie, a global research and development-based biopharmaceutical company in cooperation with Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

“There have been no new medications approved for a long time for systematic endometriosis and there is a huge gap because the current options are expensive, and they are often injectable drugs,” said presenter Dr. Surrey.

In this extension of an earlier phase3 trial, women with moderate to severe endometriosis-related pain who participated in the initial randomized, placebo-controlled trial were given either a 150- or 200-mg dose of Elagolix (NCT01620528).

About 569 women from 149 locations continued the treatment during the extension phase of 12 months to study the safety and efficacy of Elagolix over prolong period.

The average age of each patient group was between 31 and 34 years, and all groups were majority white, with a mean length of time from surgical diagnosis ranging from 45.5 to 56.6 months.

Patients reported a decrease in daily analgesic use by 46%-77% and improvement in dysmenorrhea and chronic pelvic pain by 49%-53% with 150 mg dose and by 82% for those at 200 mg.

Common side effect reported during the extension period was hot flashes, but they were not as severe as GnRH analogs and did not require any additional treatment. GnRH analogs are current gold standard for endometriosis and cause severe hot flashes requiring additional treatment.

The drug is also being evaluated in the treatment of uterine fibroids.

FDA is already on Elagolix and has announced April 2018 that it requires extended time to review additional information regarding the results of liver function tests provided by AbbVie in connection with its New Drug Application (NDA) for Elagolix in endometriosis-associated pain.

" We are pleased with the outcomes of the pivotal trials thus far. AbbVie will continue to pursue Elagolix as a potential new treatment for the disease's most common symptoms, including pain related to menstruation and chronic pelvic pain throughout the menstrual cycle," said Michael Severino, the chief scientific officer at AbbVie, at the time.

Abstract

FDA release 

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