Cathepsin K inhibitor exhibits bone protecting effects in osteoarthritis

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – The investigational cathepsin K inhibitor MIV-711 had positive effects on both bone and cartilage at 6 months in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a phase 2a study.

The MRI measures of the “area of bone in the medial femur region” and “average cartilage thickness” showed reduced progression with MIV-711 versus placebo.

^{Sara Freeman/MDedge News}

Dr. Philip Conaghan

MIV-711 also produced rapid and sustained reductions in the bone biomarkers CTX-I and CTX-II, study investigator Philip Conaghan, MBBS, PhD, reported at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis.

The primary endpoint of the trial – the change in average knee pain over 26 weeks assessed using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS) – was not met, however, with no differences between MIV-711 treatment and placebo.

While there were also no statistical differences in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain scores, one of several secondary endpoints assessed, there was a trend for less pain with MIV-711 than with placebo.

“The lack of symptom benefits may reflect that the study duration was not sufficient to see symptom reduction following structure modification,” Dr. Conaghan and his coauthors stated in their abstract.