On the horizon:
- Duke University designed two injectable, time–released, combination drug formulations that stimulate bone and articular cartilage regeneration in OA-degraded joints. These therapeutics can be used alone or together. Duke researchers have also designed an intravenous time-release formulation that promotes targeted cartilage repair for patients with OA in multiple joints, eliminating the need for multiple injections. These therapeutics require only a single clinic visit, no more than once per year, to relieve joint pain and restore function by regenerating tissue lost to OA. An affiliated spinout company will commercialize these three products in a cost-effective way to ensure access for all Americans.
- University of Colorado Boulder developed two new therapies that help aging or damaged joints repair themselves within weeks in animal studies. The first technology is a patented particle delivery system that is injected into the joint and provides intermittent bursts of a repurposed, regenerative drug for months. For patients with significant cartilage lesions, the second technology is a cocktail of engineered proteins that are injected arthroscopically and cured into place for focused regeneration. Renovare Therapeutics Inc. has been established as an independent company to commercialize their therapies quickly and accessibly.
The Duke University team, led by orthopedic surgeon Benjamin Alman, is developing injectable and intravenous therapies. These treatments use specific small molecules to stimulate the body’s natural cartilage and bone repair mechanisms. Duke’s protocol requires just a single annual clinic visit. They even created a systemic version to treat multiple joints simultaneously without requiring separate injections. This project received up to $33 million in federal funding.
Meanwhile, the University of Colorado Boulder team took a different path. They engineered a patented particle delivery system injected directly into the joint area. These micro-particles release periodic bursts of a repurposed regenerative drug over several months. In early animal testing, the targeted method prompted joints to repair structural defects within weeks.
The folks at Colorado are establishing a company that will eventually offer their treatment products:https://renovaretx.com/
Not much on that website.
One of the University of Colorado options seems near arrival:
One treatment repurposes an existing drug that has already received approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Bryant and her colleagues created a patented particle delivery system that can be injected into a joint, where it releases periodic doses of the drug over several months.
The Colorado University team will begin human trials at the end of this year, beginning of 2027.