Today is 'World Arthritis Day'... Active Development of 'Degenerative Arthritis' Treatments

Nearly 4 Million Domestic Patients... Severe Pain Reduces Quality of Life
Growing Elderly Population Expands Unmet Needs... Accelerating Development of Novel Therapeutics

Osteoarthritis stock photo. [Image source=Getty Images]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Every year on October 12th, the World Health Organization (WHO) designates ‘World Arthritis Day.’ It was established to support patients suffering from musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and to emphasize the importance of early treatment. Osteoarthritis, also known as ‘degenerative arthritis’ because its incidence increases with age, is the most common disease in Korea, with nearly 4 million patients annually, and is recognized as a representative disease that lowers quality of life.

Osteoarthritis Patients Numbering 4 Million Annually

Osteoarthritis refers to the condition where the cartilage at the ends of bones wears away. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is generally understood to occur due to aging, genetic factors, obesity, joint trauma, and cartilage damage caused by inflammation. True to its name as the most common arthritis, the number of patients in Korea is considerable. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 3,994,333 patients visited hospitals for osteoarthritis last year. By gender, female patients (2,661,082) were nearly twice as many as male patients (1,333,251), and due to aging, the number of osteoarthritis patients is expected to increase further.

Osteoarthritis is often misunderstood as a condition that only occurs with aging, but it can develop regardless of age. Repeated excessive joint movements from intense exercise can cause cartilage damage. In fact, nearly 200,000 patients in their 20s and 30s (197,924) were diagnosed with osteoarthritis last year. This is why young people should not be complacent.

The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is knee pain. Pain worsens during joint movements such as climbing stairs, and as the disease progresses, swelling or fluid accumulation in the knee causes severe discomfort. Osteoarthritis can also occur in the spine or finger joints. Diagnosis can be made through symptoms, a simple medical interview, physical examination, and can be confirmed by X-ray imaging.

To prevent osteoarthritis, it is important to maintain a normal weight to reduce the load on joints. Moderate exercise is recommended, while excessive exercise should be avoided, and correcting poor posture is also helpful. Treatment options for osteoarthritis include medication, physical therapy, and surgery. Recently, ‘total joint replacement surgery’ has been actively performed for cases with severe persistent pain. This surgery involves removing the worn knee cartilage and inserting an artificial joint. Orthopedic specialist Lee Yong-jun from H Plus Yangji Hospital explained, “For patients with stage 3 or 4 degenerative arthritis who do not improve with non-surgical treatments and have limitations in daily life, surgical treatment can be considered.”

Accelerating Development of Therapeutics Targeting Market Expansion

Domestic pharmaceutical and biotech companies are also actively developing osteoarthritis treatments. Given the aging population and the still significant unmet needs, there is a judgment that the market has expansion potential.

Medipost is a representative company in Korea. Following the development of ‘Cartistem,’ the world’s first allogeneic umbilical cord blood-derived stem cell therapy, which celebrated its 10th anniversary of domestic approval this year, the company is conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial of the injectable osteoarthritis treatment ‘SMUP-IA-01’ in Korea. Cartistem is also accelerating its overseas expansion beyond Korea. It entered Phase 3 clinical trials in Japan this year and received confirmation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it can skip Phase 2 and proceed directly to Phase 3. A Medipost official said, “We plan to focus our capabilities to achieve good results in the global clinical trials of Cartistem, whose efficacy and safety have been verified domestically.”

Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s drug development subsidiary iNt Therapeutics is developing a non-opioid osteoarthritis treatment ‘iN1011-N17.’ Interim results from Phase 1 clinical trials in Australia confirmed safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic superiority. Bio venture Exosome Tech recently applied to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a Phase 1 clinical trial plan in Korea for the exosome-based osteoarthritis treatment candidate ‘EST-P-EXO1,’ which has been attracting attention. According to the company, non-clinical studies confirmed cartilage regeneration and inflammatory pain suppression effects in animal models.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.