Next Round of Tanezumab in Osteoarthritis

About a year ago I’ve written about tanezumab in osteoarthritis [1]. Two years earlier I’ve already voiced my concerns about the substance [2]. My conclusion in 2018 had been: “Until further notice I’ll stay skeptical about tanezumab in osteoarthritis.”

And now there’s a study by Th.J. Schnitzer and colleagues [3]: “Effect of Tanezumab on Joint Pain, Physical Function, and Patient Global Assessment [PGA] of Osteoarthritis Among Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee: A Randomized Clinical Trial”. The authors described the significant improvement in pain and PGA as “moderate”. Under results we find: “Rapidly progressive OA occurred only in tanezumab-treated patients (2.5 mg: n = 5, 2.2%; 2.5/5 mg: n = 1, 0.4%). The incidence of total joint replacements was 8 (3.5%), 16 (6.9%), and 4 (1.7%) in the tanezumab, 2.5 mg; tanezumab, 2.5/5 mg; and placebo groups, respectively.”

In conclusion the study shows an analgesic effect of tanezumab, but only against placebo. What about naproxen, celecoxib, or oxycodone? Or even paracetamol? “Rapidly progressive OA occurred only in tanezumab-treated patients”, and therefore the incidence of total joint replacements was higher in the tanezumab groups.

To sum it up, I’m even more skeptical about seeing tanezumab as a drug in osteoarthritis than I had been before.

Links:

[1] https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2018/03/tanezumab-in-patients-with-knee-or-hip.html

[2] https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2015/12/tanezumab-in-osteoarthritis-at-acr-2015.html

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