(OAinject) Fighting osteoarthritis

Project summary

In the Netherlands, more than 1.5 million people suffer from osteoarthritis – a rheumatic condition of the joints that causes pain, stiffness and difficulty in moving. As osteoarthritis is a condition that mainly occurs among older people, the number of patients is set to increase due to the ageing of Dutch society. At present, there is no adequate treatment for osteoarthritis . The OAinject programme will develop new diagnostic tools that will determine which form of osteoarthritis a person has so that individualised treatments can be offered. The researchers will also work on innovative ways of gradually administering drugs locally over a longer period of time via an injectable drug depot in the joint. With this approach, the consortium will ensure that patients can retain an active lifestyle that helps to prevent other conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia.