Leading pain researchers at City St George’s, University of London are partnering with Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals, an Australian late-stage clinical development company, to test a drug that could provide a new treatment option for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis affects around ten million people in the UK and over 600 million people worldwide, with many of those experiencing knee or hip pain. For years it has been well established that pain is linked to damage in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint, but Professor Nidhi Sofat’s team at City St George’s discovered that pain is also often associated with tiny fluid-filled ‘rips’ in the bone called bone marrow lesions (BMLs).
The UK-Australian partnership will investigate the effect of injectable pentosan polysulfate sodium (iPPS) – a drug currently being trialled for knee osteoarthritis by Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals – on BMLs from biopsies taken during total knee replacement surgery.
It is a semi-synthetic drug manufactured from the wood chips of European beech trees that will be investigated for its potential to reduce inflammation in joint tissues. iPPS works by blocking a protein complex called NF-κB and is thought that it will supress inflammatory processes in different parts of the joint, including the bone, cartilage and the soft tissue lining called the synovium.
Researchers will apply their unique technology for evaluating BMLs, which combines advanced imaging using MRI scans with gene and protein profiling to observe microscopic changes in the bone tissue. This integrated approach will allow them to better understand how BMLs behave and how they respond to the drug PPS.
Professor Nidhi Sofat, Professor of Rheumatology in the School of Health & Medical Sciences at City St George’s, University of London, said:
“Bone marrow lesions represent one of the most significant and painful aspects of osteoarthritis, yet we still have much to learn about how best to target them. This collaboration has the potential to deepen our understanding of how pentosan polysulfate works in osteoarthritis.
“If the drug improves the bone marrow lesions and reduces pain, we hope that it could one day be a new and much-needed treatment option for the millions of people living with osteoarthritis and chronic pain globally.”
This is the first collaboration between City St George’s, University of London and Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals, which is expected to last for one year and has been shortlisted as a finalist for the SEHTA Healthcare Business Awards.
Paradigm Founder and Executive Chair, Paul Rennie, said:
“This collaboration with City St George’s represents an important step in further understanding the mechanism of action of PPS, particularly in relation to bone marrow lesions, which are increasingly recognised as a key driver of pain in osteoarthritis.
“Paradigm is delighted to be working with one of the most advanced rheumatology research centres globally on this important program. By combining advanced imaging with molecular profiling, this study has the potential to generate valuable translational data supporting PPS’ activity across multiple joint tissues. These insights complement our ongoing Phase 3 program and reinforce the broader disease-modifying potential of PPS in osteoarthritis.”
