Drug finding gives optimism to millions with osteoarthritis

Methotrexate, a medication already used for autoimmune conditions, can also relieve the pain and stiffness caused by knee osteoarthritis, says a new clinical trial funded by Versus Arthritis.

The discovery offers hope to millions of people across the UK suffering with chronic pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis of the knee, and is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the body can no longer maintain the joint to keep it healthy and pain free and affects 5.4 million people in the UK and 364 million around the world. Current pain relief options are limited and one-third of people with knee osteoarthritis say they have severe pain every day.

The new trial saw scientists recruit 155 people with knee osteoarthritis who were not responding to current medications. Half were given methotrexate once a week for 12 months and the other half a placebo.

People taking methotrexate, which works by reducing the activity of the immune system, experienced less pain and stiffness at six months.

“There is an urgent need for treatments to help relieve the pain of osteoarthritis,” says Prof Philip Conaghan who led the work. “We are therefore very excited by our findings which show that methotrexate may offer a potential new treatment.”

The research is good news but needs to be weighed up against side effects of methotrexate. Although these are usually minor they include nausea, fatigue and headache.

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