(HealthDay)—For patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip, tanezumab is associated with significant improvements in pain and physical function versus placebo, according to a study published in the July 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Thomas J. Schnitzer, M.D., Ph.D., from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues randomly assigned patients with hip or knee OA with inadequate response to OA analgesics to subcutaneous administration of tanezumab 2.5 mg at day one and week eight, tanezumab 2.5 mg at day one and 5 mg at week eight, or placebo (231, 233, and 232 patients, respectively).

The researchers observed decreases in the mean Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain scores from 7.1 to 3.6 for tanezumab 2.5 mg, 7.3 to 3.6 for tanezumab 2.5/5 mg, and 7.3 to 4.4 for placebo from baseline to week 16 (least squares mean differences versus placebo: −0.60 and −0.73, respectively). Decreases were seen in the WOMAC Physical Function scores of 7.2 to 3.7, 7.4 to 3.6, and 7.4 to 4.5, respectively (differences versus placebo: −0.66 and −0.89, respectively). There were decreases in the mean patient global assessment of osteoarthritis scores from 3.4 to 2.4, 3.5 to 2.4, and 3.5 to 2.7, respectively (differences versus placebo, −0.22 and −0.25, respectively).

"Further research is needed to determine the clinical importance of these efficacy and adverse event findings," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Eli Lilly, which manufacture tanezumab and funded the study.

More information: Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association 

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