Advancing Osteoarthritis Treatments

OA entails all aspects of a serious condition, ranging in levels of disability severity from mild to severe with constant chronic pain, progressive, irreversible structural damage and gradual loss of function. Pain from arthritis is one of the key barriers to maintaining physical activity and can be considered a critical factor in the onset of frailty in the elderly. The more severe the walking disability, the higher the risk of death. The impact of OA is complex, multi-factorial and persistently progressive.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis and the plethora of treatment options which aim to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life are lacking in one or both aspects. There is an urgent need for trials of new and existing drugs which may intervene in the development and progression of OA. Importantly, therapies must improve how a patient feels, functions and survives.

The Arthritis Foundation is transforming the landscape of OA research and discovery by focusing on what is paramount for our patients - biomarkers to diagnose the disease early and allow intervention as soon as possible as opposed to solely studying treatments of end stage disease when reduced or no options exist.

Our COE will allow researchers and patients from multiple organizations around the country to interact and share information that will help us:

• Break down time and resource barriers
• Accelerate FDA approval of new therapies
• Connect a community of partners to best manage Osteoarthritis disease, ensuring patients live their YES! 

Breaking down time and resource barriers
We have established a multi-center clinical trial network with our virtual OA COE. It provides a full spectrum of research support, including clinical expertise, trial design guidance, patient cohorts, imaging modalities, biomarker testing as well as patient-reported outcomes and data analysis. Investigators collaborating with the OA COE Clinical Trial Network will share:

• Design standards, protocols, laboratories, reading centers and training.
• Access to clinical trial design, drug development and licensing expertise.
• Pathways for further development of de-risked molecules.
• Outreach programs within the local community create private practice extension centers to accelerate patient
• recruitment for trials.
• Process enhancements and innovative design features are leveraged such as adaptive trials and shared placebo groups.
• New and updated technology to expedite data analysis, improve quality, and standardize reporting of outcomes.
• The Clinical Trial Network is reducing logistical and financial barriers for conducting trials.

Clinical trials conducted within the OA COE Clinical Trial Network will select outcomes which are most meaningful to our patients as patients are engaged in all aspects of design, recruitment, conduct and governance. Importantly, patients will have the opportunity to be matched with trials of interest.