Orthokin

Orthokin – a bloodsample of 60 ml is incubated, see what is told on the internet page of Orthokin®:


„Bei der Orthokin-Therapie handelt es sich um ein Verfahren, bei dem aus Patientenblut ein autologes Serum mit erhöhten Konzentrationen anti-inflammatorischer Zytokine hergestellt wird. Dieses Autologe Conditionierte Serum (ACS) kann wirksam und sicher zur Behandlung von Arthrose und Ischialgien eingesetzt werden. Eine Schlüsselrolle spielt hierbei der Zytokinantagonist Interleukin-1-Rezeptorantagonist (IL-1Ra).“  [The Orthokin-therapy is a procedure in which an autologous serum with elevated concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines is made from patient blood. This conditioned autologous serum (ACS) can be used effectively and safely for the treatment of osteoarthritis and sciatica. The cytokine-antagonist Interleukin-1-receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) plays a key role here."
Source: http://www.orthokin.de/orthokin-fachbereich/  


In 2004 U Heyll tried to come to a recommendation, but couldn’t do so due to lack of published experimental data: “We also found no results of clinical studies, which would allow an estimation of the effectiveness and the risks of this method. Therefore treatment with "orthokin" cannot be recommended at present.“ Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15049471  


Arzneimittelkommission der deutschen Ärzteschaft: Orthokin®, eine aus Eigenblut hergestellte Individualarznei [Drug Commission of the German medical profession: Orthokin®, an individual drug produced from autologous blood]: „Der Gesetzgeber, der ja auch in anderen Fragen die Aufgabe hätte den Bürger vor Ausplünderung zu schützen, sollte dafür sorgen, dass Präparate dieser Art ein ordnungsgemäßes Zulassungsverfahren passieren müssen. Die Tatsache, dass ein solches Präparat ohne jeden Wirksamkeitsnachweis angewandt werden darf, sehen wir als Skandal an.“ ["Legislation should have the task to protect citizens from being looted, and should ensure that products of this kind must go through a proper authorisation procedure.We see a scandal in the fact that such a product can be used without any proof of efficacy."] http://www.akdae.de/Arzneimitteltherapie/AVP/Archiv/20062.pdf

In 2007 Commission on Pharmacotherapy of the German Society for Rheumatology could not give a recommendation as relevant data hadn’t been published in an appropriate specialist journal. See abstract at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17235614  


A study in 2008 by KG Yang et al. (Autologous interleukin-1 receptor antagonist improves function and symptoms in osteoarthritis when compared to placebo in a prospective randomized controlled trial) had to state in the conclusion: “However, in the current study the primary efficacy objective was not met and, therefore, the use of Orthokin currently cannot yet be recommended for the treatment of OA.” Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17825587  


The Rheinische Ärzteblatt published a comment based on an article in Versicherungsmedizin: „Orthokin – still no scientific prove of medical benefit“ [German: Orthokin – Weiterhin kein wissenschaftlicher Nachweis eines medizinischen Nutzens / Rheinisches Ärzteblatt – Sicher verordnen (Quelle: Versicherungsmedizin 2008, Heft 1, 36)] Source: http://www.aekno.de/downloads/archiv/2008.05.009.pdf  


„Arthrose-Behandlung / Nick Nolte: Arztbesuch in Düsseldorf“ has been an article by the Rheinische Post, which is published in Düsseldorf – don’t look for medical information in the article. But here it is: http://www.rp-online.de/region-duesseldorf/duesseldorf/nachrichten/nick-nolte-arztbesuch-in-duesseldorf-1.1143022  

There’s an ongoing legal dispute between Orthokin® producer Orthogen AG and the German Society for Rheumatology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie), which looks that it has been won by the German Society for Rheumatology. Look at the last passage of Prof. Jürgen Braun’s recent address to the members of our society: http://dgrh.de/8824.html  


There is some material in German on this legal dispute at: http://buskeismus-lexikon.de/325_O_387/09_-_09.02.2010_-_Orthokin_wird_nicht_empfohlen_-_Orthogen_AG_klagt 

Most interesting is the statement of the Arzneimittel-Telegramm (arznei-telegramm 2005; 36: 89): Wir erachten die bis zu 1.000 € teure Individualrezeptur, die faktisch keiner behördlichen Kontrolle auf Qualität, Wirksamkeit und Unbedenklichkeit unterliegt, als Scharlatanerie. [We think the up to 1,000 € expensive individual recipe which is subject to virtually no regulatory control of quality, effectiveness, and safety as charlatanism.] See details at:  http://www.arznei-telegramm.de/zeit/0510_a.php3  

Arznei-Telegramm, an independant German paper on drugs, published EIGENBLUTREZEPTUR ORTHOKIN: WAS GIBT ES NEUES? http://www.arznei-telegramm.de/vorschau_weiter.php3?html=1205046_01.html  
„The provider company [of Orthokin] Orthogen has not published any meaningful scientific information to our knowledge. “ “Look at a small Dutch study independent of the provider with 22 osteoarthritis patients: the serum has been prepared according to Orthogen information, both anti flammation cytokines such as IL-1Ra and also inflammation promoting [cytokines] such as TNF α significantly increased.”
30.05.2012


"Das Orthokin-Verfahren wird weltweit von mehr als 500 Orthopäden und Neurochirurgen eingesetzt. Allein in Deutschland wurden mehr als 20.000 Patienten mit dem körpereigenen Protein IL-1Ra behandelt. Verschiedene klinische Studien belegen die hohe Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit des Verfahrens." Source: http://www.orthopaedie-hamburg.de/orthokin-therapie.htm 
Translation: "

The Orthokine method is used worldwide by more than 500 orthopedists and neurosurgeons. In Germany alone, more than 20,000 patients were treated with the body's own protein IL-1Ra. Several clinical studies have shown the high efficacy and safety of the procedure."

It is sad that such a method can be used in "more than 20,000 patients". Where have these "clinical studies" been published? I've just checked MeSH and PubMed, but there are no studies.

27.06.2012