New Drug to Ease Arthritic Knee Pain
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Patients whose arthritic knees aren’t helped by painkillers are getting a new option: injections of a substance derived from chickens that may help cushion their joints. The Food and Drug Administration approved two versions of hyaluronate, the first new option for osteoarthritis in 25 years. Hyaluronate is found naturally in the fluid of people’s joints, helping to lubricate and cushion them. But in osteoarthritis, patients’ hyaluronate degrades. Italy’s Fidia Corp. and New Jersey’s Biomatrix Inc. culled hyaluronate from chickens and modified it for humans.
