Study: Oxytrex® Superior to Oxycodone for Osteoarthritis Pain and Function

The drug Oxytrex® is superior to oxycodone in providing osteoarthritis patients longer lasting pain relief and better physical function, according to the results of a phase II study released October 16

Oxytrex is a small molecule drug for treating severe chronic pain that is currently in Phase III trials. Oxycodone is an opiate painkiller.

The trial involved 350 patients at 30 clinical centers across the country. All of the participants suffered from moderate to severe chronic pain due to advanced osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: placebo, oxycodone or two different strengths of Oxytrex.

On a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), all of the study participants had average pain scores ranging from 7.4 to 7.7 at the beginning of the study. The two groups taking Oxytrex reported 41 percent and 26 percent improvement in their pain scores, compared to 21 percent and 24 percent, respectively, for the placebo and oxycodone groups.

The researchers also found Oxytrex to be well tolerated throughout the study with no reports of serious adverse events. The prevalence of these side effects was statistically indistinguishable among the active treatment groups.

Oxytrex also was reported to be superior to oxycodone according to a widely used scale, the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index, which measures changes in physical function, such as joint stiffness and range of motion in osteoarthritis patients.

"These clinical data showcase the ability of Oxytrex to outperform oxycodone in a multi-dose, chronic model of pain," said Remi Barbier, president and chief executive officer of Pain Therapeutics, Inc., which is developing Oxytrex.

Other sources: Pain Therapeutics, Inc.