Safety of oral chondroitin sulfate in the management of knee osteoarthritis: results of a new meta-analysis of randomlzed. Placebo-controlled trials
G. Honvo Osteoarthritis and Cartilage VOLUME 27, SUPPLEMENT 1, S499, APRIL 01, 2019
Purpose: To assess the safety of oral chondroitin sulfate (CS) in the management of Osteoarthritis (OA). To see whether the concommitant prescription of a rescue or concomitant medication, mainly oral NSAIDs, influences the safety profile of CS.
Methods: A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials, assessing the efficacy and safety of CS in the treatment of OA, was conducted, searching the Medline, CENTRAL and Scopus databases. Clinical trials registries and recent meta-analyses were also checked. Outcomes of interest were the main System Organ Classes (SOC) retrieved from the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MeDRA), i.e. gastro-intestinal, vascular, cardiac, nervous system, skin and subcutaneous tissue, musculoskeletal and connective tissue, renal and urinary, along with total, severe and serious adverse events (AE) and study withdrawals (DO) related to AE. Primary investigators and sponsors of included trials were individually contacted to obtain the full safety report. Results are expressed as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence lntervals (95%CI) for the occurrence of AE in the CS-treated patients compared to the AE observed in the placebo group. Studies allowing for the use of rescue or concomitant medications were analysed in a parallel meta-analysis.
Results: The inclusion criteria yielded 13 studies. CS administration was not associated to a significant increase in the incidence of any AE (OR:0.78 95%CI:0.59-1.03), severe AE (OR:0.82 95%Cl:0.47-1.45), serious AE (OR: 1.13 95%Cl:0.84-1.52) or DO related to AE (OR:0.72 95%CI:0.44-1.16). When looking at the individual MeDRA SOC-related AE, we did not identify any significant increase in the odds of AE, for patients treated with CS compared to those receiving a placebo: Gastrointestinal: OR:0.77 (95%CI:0.59-1.00), Cardiac: OR:1.17 (95%Cl:0.67-2.05), Vascular: OR:0.72 (95%Cl:0.46-1.13), Nervous system: OR: 1.08 (95%Cl:0.82-1.42), Skin and subcutaneous tissue: OR:1.07 (95%Cl:0.62-1.84), Musculoskeletal and connective tissue: OR: 1.01 (95%Cl:0.82-1.25), Renal and urinary: OR:0.40 (95%Cl:0.22-0.74). The presence of rescue or concomitant medications did not induce a significant increase in the odds of AE, for patients treated with CS: Any AE: OR:0.85 (95%Cl:0.53-1.38), Severe AE: OR:0.93 (95%Cl:0.56-1.54), Serious AE: OR:1.12 (95%Cl:0.82-1.53), DO related to AE: OR:1.05 (95%Cl:0.67-1.64). Results from all individual SOC were consistent with no significant increase in the incidence of AE in the patients receiving CS in presence of rescue or concomitant medications.
Conclusions: The use of CS at the doses investigated in clinical trials conducted in osteoarthritis is not associated to any safety concern, at any of the major System Organ Classes.