LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM — Scientists have found a new drug that can potentially stop bone loss and damage in people with diseased joints.
The Daily Express reports that osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease caused by the breakdown of protective bone cartilage, often in the knees, hands, hips, and spine.
The condition has no known cure, but a new drug called M1V-711 has been shown to help reduce bone damage in affected joints.
The treatment is based on a molecule involved in bone and cartilage turnovers, and works by interfering with the process that leads to joint breakdown.
When tested in patients aged 40 to 80, the drug reduced bone loss in the knees by 65% and improved cartilage thickness in just six months. By contrast, those given a placebo reported a slight increase in bone loss.
According to lead investigator Philip Conaghan of the University of Leeds, the drug has very few side effects, and is reportedly the first to target the diseased bone structure, instead of simply managing pain like most existing treatments.
