This study will determine whether doxycycline decreases the severity or rate of progression
of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the
most popular agents used to treat OA, but elderly women, in whom OA is especially common, are
at greatest risk of developing serious side effects from NSAIDs.
Our study targets overweight middle-aged women who have OA in one knee. Half of the 432 study
participants will receive the treatment (doxycycline) and half will receive a placebo
(inactive pill). Treatment with doxycycline (or placebo) will last 30 months, and
participants and researchers will not know who is receiving doxycycline and who is receiving
placebo until the end of the study. We will look for narrowing of the joint space in the knee
that was not affected by OA at the start of the study. Joint space narrowing is a sign of OA.
We will also use questionnaires to evaluate participants' symptoms and functioning.
Phase:
Phase 3
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Indiana University
Collaborators:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) National Institute on Aging (NIA)