Royal Free London celebrates success in being first to recruit to new trial for knee arthritis
The rheumatology research team at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals, part of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, has enrolled the first patient in the UK on to the Novartis ONWARDS study.
ONWARDS is a clinical trial researching an investigational drug which could help people with osteoarthritis of the knee. This five-year study will assess how the use of a protein has the potential to rebuild cartilage and therefore potentially slow or reverse the damage.
Osteoarthritis affects millions of people worldwide and there is currently no therapy that can reverse the damage in the joints.
Dr Hasan Tahir, consultant rheumatologist at Barnet Hospital, said: “This is an exciting study to be part of and could potentially prove an important milestone in our quest to find improvements for osteoarthritis, which is a painful and all too common condition and can make it difficult to carry out everyday activities. I hope we can recruit more patients to the trial and work to improve the lives of people with this debilitating condition.”
Farhan Naim, Director of Research and Development at the Royal Free London, said: “The speed at which we are recruiting to trials is great news for our patients. We are rightly proud of our reputation for being a research led trust and are committed to making ground breaking discoveries that could help patients worldwide.”
The study is looking to recruit 550 patients globally. If you are interested in taking part, you can find out if you are eligible on the trial website.
