UK-Russia firm launches breakthrough drug-free gel to treat arthritis

British Prime Minister David Cameron this week hailed the launch of a breakthrough treatment which uses nanotechnology to combat crippling arthritis pain. The drug-free gel, manufactured by Anglo-Russian company Pro Bono Bio, is the first over-the-counter product in Britain to use cutting-edge nano-physical science to ease arthritic pain.

A breakthrough in liquid engineering, the gel is simply applied onto the joints twice daily and left to dry. It contains nanostructures that are able to cross through the skin barrier and target the pain area.

Mr Cameron said: “It was great to launch Pro Bono Bio during my trade mission to Moscow in 2011. And it is great that less than three years later this innovative treatment for osteoarthritis sufferers has now arrived in the UK.

“This demonstrates how UK-Russia collaborations at the cutting edge of R&D can help British businesses expand into new areas, creating jobs and growth here in the UK.”

Getting under the skin

We spoke to John Mayo CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of Pro Bono Bio, and asked him to explain what's new about the treatment.

"Flexiseq's activity is physical," John Mayo says. "It lubricates joints suffering from wear and tear. Most treatments for people with OA contain analgesics that stop the pain chain. The deterioration in the join is continuing, and therefore generating pain. but the people don't experience as much pain because they're taking a pain reliever. The obvious consequence is that their joints continue to worsen.

"The technology here is designed to alleviate the wear and tear on the joint and by doing so, the person suffers less pain. So it's actually dealing with the cause."

Getting through the skin is not a trivial challenge, he points out, because the skin is a very effective barrier. "The gel takes nano-spheres made of products generally accepted as safe, which effectively replace phospholipids which have been damaged in the joint. A lipid is fatty, and when it gets into the joint it lubricates it."

The gel is based on technology developed with funding from Rusnano, a Russian state-owned technology company focused on nanotechnology. 

"The most particular skill it has," John Mayo explains, "is to take these substances through the skin directly into the tissue that's being affected. So it's targeted. It's engineered to go through the skin and then go to the tissue that needs care."

Medical reactions

Dr Liam O’Toole, Chief Executive, Arthritis Research UK, the largest funder of research into arthritis in the UK, said:“We know that nearly nine million people in the UK have sought treatment for osteoarthritis, which is a painful and extremely debilitating condition. 

“Current approaches to treating this chronic pain are inadequate, and we are interested in the potential of this new drug-free approach.”

Results from six separate clinical studies involving 4,000 patients found that Flexiseq helps mobility and eases pain in OA sufferers.

Dr John Dickson, a co-founder of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society, who worked on two studies, said: “I am delighted that Flexiseq is being launched in the UK. This topical treatment is drug-free and seems to have an excellent safety profile.

 “There is already a lot of interest in the UK about this exciting new treatment and indeed I am personally using it on my arthritic hand joints with success.” 

Treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) costs the National Health Service an estimated £5.2 billion annually. There were more than 66,000 hip replacements and 77,000 knee replacements in 2011 due to OA.

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