Sun Pharma-Moebius Medical anti-osteoarthritis injection shows sustained pain relief in clinical trials, ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: Sun Pharma and Israel-based Moebius Medical on Friday said data from clinical trials demonstrated that their single intra-articular injection MM-II provided greater pain relief than placebo for up to 26 weeks in osteoarthritis (OA).

The companies also said from weeks 12 to 26, more patients on MM-II experienced around 50% improvement in knee OA pain than patients on placebo and used less rescue medication

The results were presented on Friday at EULAR 2024, are based on an analysis from the randomized, controlled, Phase 2b clinical study (NCT04506463).

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, in which the tissues in the joint break down over time. People with osteoarthritis usually have joint pain and, after rest or inactivity, stiffness for a short period of time.

MM-II is a novel non-opioid. The product that uses a proprietary suspension of large, empty, multilamellar liposomes which are intended to reduce friction and wear on the joint and thus relieve joint pain.

Sun Pharma and Moebius Medical, who have been jointly developing this product, have announced plans to initiate a Phase 3 clinical program and to seek a CE Mark for the product in the European Union.

“With over 100 million people currently suffering from joint pain, there is a significant unmet need for additional OA therapies,” said Abhay Gandhi, CEO – North America Business, Sun Pharma.

“This analysis from our clinical trial is further confirmation of the potential role that MM-II will be able to play in improving painful OA treatment,” Gandhi said.

Moshe Weinstein, CEO of Moebius Medical, added, “As more data become available, we continue to see MM-II’s potential as a safe and effective alternative to today’s OA treatments.”