Trial tests treatment to tackle pain for millions hit by osteoarthritis

Experts have claimed the study, funded by the charity Arthritis Research UK, could offer welcome relief to one in 12 people hit by osteoarthritis in their hand.

A total of 250 people will to take part in the study to find out if a drug more commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could help reduce inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis.

Existing treatments for hand osteoarthritis, such as splinting, painkillers and physiotherapy, provide only limited relief.

The Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine at Leeds University, Phil Conaghan, said he believed that as well as providing long-term pain relief, his study testing a drug called hydroxychloroquine, which is derived from an anti-malarial therapy, could also slow progression of the condition.

“Osteoarthritis of the hand is generally considered to be less important and less disabling than hip or knee osteoarthritis but a large proportion of those affected report that they have significant difficulties with everyday tasks which have a great impact on their quality of life and general health,” he said.

Hydroxychloroquine is already used by some doctors to treat osteoarthritic pain, but there has been no major trial to test its effectiveness.

In Yorkshire, trial patients will be recruited in Leeds, York, and Harrogate, with the remainder from 20 centres in hospitals and some GP surgeries around the UK, and will test the drug against a dummy treatment.