Leading pain researchers at City St George’s, University of London are partnering with Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals, an Australian late-stage clinical development company, to test a drug that could provide a new treatment option for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis affects around ten million people in the UK and over 600 million people worldwide, with many of those experiencing knee or hip pain. For years it has been well established that pain is linked to damage in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint, but Professor Nidhi Sofat’s team at City St George’s discovered that pain is also often associated with tiny fluid-filled ‘rips’ in the bone called bone marrow lesions (BMLs).
The UK-Australian partnership will investigate the effect of injectable pentosan polysulfate sodium (iPPS) - a drug currently being trialled for knee osteoarthritis by Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals - on BMLs from biopsies taken during total knee replacement surgery.
iPPS, a semi-synthetic polysaccharide and glycosaminoglycan mimetic derived from beechwood hemicellulose is being investigated for its potential to reduce inflammation in joint tissues. It works by blocking a protein complex called NF-κB and is thought that it will supress inflammatory processes in different parts of the joint, including the bone, cartilage and the soft tissue lining called the synovium.
Researchers will apply their unique technology for evaluating BMLs, which combines advanced imaging using MRI scans with gene and protein profiling to observe microscopic changes in the bone tissue. This integrated approach will allow them to better understand how BMLs behave and how they respond to the drug PPS.
Professor Nidhi Sofat, Professor of Rheumatology in the School of Health & Medical Sciences at City St George’s, University of London, said:
“Bone marrow lesions represent one of the most significant and painful aspects of osteoarthritis, yet we still have much to learn about how best to target them. This collaboration has the potential to deepen our understanding of how pentosan polysulfate works in osteoarthritis.
“If the drug improves the bone marrow lesions and reduces pain, we hope that it could one day be a new and much-needed treatment option for the millions of people living with osteoarthritis and chronic pain globally.”
This is the first collaboration between City St George’s, University of London and Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals, which is expected to last for one year and has been shortlisted as a finalist for the SEHTA Healthcare Business Awards.
Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Founder and Executive Chair, Paul Rennie, said:
“This collaboration with City St George’s represents an important step in further understanding the mechanism of action of PPS, particularly in relation to bone marrow lesions, which are increasingly recognised as a key driver of pain in osteoarthritis.
“Paradigm is delighted to be working with one of the most advanced rheumatology research centres globally on this important program. By combining advanced imaging with molecular profiling, this study has the potential to generate valuable translational data supporting PPS’ activity across multiple joint tissues. These insights complement our ongoing Phase 3 program and reinforce the broader disease-modifying potential of PPS in osteoarthritis.”
Rebecca Paulraj, Acting Head of Business Engagement & Knowledge Exchange at City St George’s, University of London, added:
“This is a strong example of how long-term academic research could potentially lead to real improvements in patients’ lives. We are supporting Professor Sofat and her to team to move these findings beyond the lab and clinic by working with commercial partners such as Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals. Our role is to help ensure promising evidence like this can translate into treatments that are accessible and available to patients who would benefit most.”
ENDS
For more information or to request interviews please contact: Dr Lisa Jones, Press & Research Communications Manager at City St George’s, University of London, by email, ljones@citystgeorges.ac.uk or phone, +44 (0)7909 523089.
About City St George’s, University of London
City St George’s, University of London is the University of business, practice and the professions.
City St George’s attracts around 27,000 students from more than 170 countries.
Our academic range is broadly-based with world-leading strengths in business; law; health and medical sciences; mathematics; computer science; engineering; social sciences; and the arts including journalism, dance and music.
In August 2024, City, University of London merged with St George’s, University of London creating a powerful multi-faculty institution. The combined university is now one of the largest suppliers of the health workforce in the capital, as well as one of the largest higher education destinations for London students.
City St George’s campuses are spread across London in Clerkenwell, Moorgate and Tooting, where we share a clinical environment with a major London teaching hospital.
Our students are at the heart of everything that we do, and we are committed to supporting them to go out and get good jobs.
Our research is impactful, engaged and at the frontier of practice. In the last REF (2021) 86 per cent of City research was rated as ‘world-leading’ 4* (40%) and ‘internationally excellent’ 3* (46%). 100% of impact cases at St George’s were judged as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. As City St George’s we will seize the opportunity to carry out interdisciplinary research which will have positive impact on the world around us.
Over 175,000 former students in over 170 countries are members of the City St George’s Alumni Network.
https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/
About Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals
Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (ASX: PAR) is a late-stage drug development company driven by a purpose to improve patients' health and quality of life by discovering, developing, and delivering pharmaceutical therapies. Paradigm's current focus is developing injectable PPS (iPPS) for the treatment of diseases where inflammation plays a major pathogenic role, indicating a need for the anti-inflammatory and tissue regenerative properties of PPS, such as in osteoarthritis (phase 3).