VISCALGIC® is an oral viscosupplementation product indicated for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
VISCALGIC® delivers a substantial quantity of HA inside the joint tissues to relieve pain and stiffness and to improve mobility and articular function.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent joint disorder and one of the most common chronic diseases. Characterized by a cartilage erosion, OA gradually worsens over time and can become rapidly painful and incapacitating.
OA can develop in any joint in the body, but most commonly affects knees, hips, hands, neck and lower back.
The main symptoms are chronic pain, stiffness and loss of mobility.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of the synovial fluid and cartilage, and is responsible for the lubrication and cushioning in joints.
It decreases friction between joint surfaces and protects soft tissue from trauma by acting as a shock absorbant. HA also have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and chondroprotective effects.
In OA joints, the quality and quantity of HA are diminished. As a result, the synovial fluid has lower viscosity and elasticity, decreasing its ability to lubricate the joint and absorb shocks. The articular surfaces are therefore altered and the cartilage degraded by the forces of friction and compression, leading to significant pain and function loss.
At present, restoring the viscoelasticity of the synovial fluid by intra-articular administration of HA, called viscosupplementation (VS), is the treatment of choice for OA patients. Compared with NSAIDs and corticosteroids, VS avoids the adverse events linked to these drugs, provides longer effects, treats not only pain but also stiffness and loss of motion, and protects cartilage.
In OA knee, the HA concentration of
the synovial fluid is low. As a result, the
cartilage is exposed to frictional and
compressional damage.
The supplementation of HA in the synovial
fluid improves lubrication and cushioning in the knee.
According to the current protocol, HA should be administered repeatedly into the joint cavity (1 to 5 injections every 6 months). This necessity for multiple injections and sessions is a major drawback of the therapy. To be treated with HA, patients must visit clinics repeatedly and must undergo the discomfort and risk of complication associated with the repetition of injections. Considering these disadvantages, it is far more desirable to supplement the joint in HA by non-invasive delivery. VISCALGIC® follows this strategy and provides an oral viscosupplementation.
Contrary to theoretical predictions, clinical studies have shown that the symptoms of OA are alleviated by HA ingestion. Orally administered HA is absorbed without substantial degradation, distributed to synovial joints while preserving its biological activities, and is retained in the tissues for prolonged periods.
The orally administered HA is absorbed and distributed to bone, cartilage and synovial fluid and is retained in those tissues for prolonged periods. As a result, the quantity and quality of HA are restored, thus ensuring a good lubrication and shock absorption in the joint.
VISCALGIC® relieves joint pain and stiffness and increases the range of motion. Moreover, VISCALGIC® will protect cartilage, thus retarding the structural progression of OA.