Joint pain affects many people around the world, creating problems with everyday tasks, causing discomfort, and lessening their quality of life. Fortunately, advances in medicine have led to relief for those who suffer from a variety of conditions that result in joint pain, with long-acting injectables being an efficient method of delivery.

At Oakwood Labs, we’re a leader long-acting injectable development, putting our proven methodologies to work in drugs to treat joint pain. Read on to learn more about joint pain drug development and how the Oakwood Labs team can supply exactly what your operations need.

The History and Use of Long-Acting Injectables for Joint Pain Pharmaceuticals

Long-acting injectables were created in the 1950s to aid patients suffering from mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. As procedures evolved and new developments arose in the ensuing decades, the treatment of other conditions, including those centered more on the total body rather than just the mind, began to emerge. This includes using long-acting injectables to administer drugs for treating joint pain in knees, elbows, shoulders, and other problem areas.

Some of the common conditions that are suited for long-acting injectable medication distribution include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Psoriatic arthritis

Meanwhile, there are a range of medication types that may be distributed. These can include osteoarthritis pharmaceuticals, rheumatoid arthritis pharmaceuticals, and other forms, with specific injections containing:

• Corticosteroids
• Hyaluronic acid
• Platelet-rich plasma
• Additional formulations

Key Benefits of Long-Acting Pharmaceutical Drugs to Treat Joint Pain

Long-acting injectables, sometimes referred to as extended-release drugs or “ER drugs,” help to provide ongoing pain relief to patients who are suffering from an array of conditions. The result is a better quality of life, better pain management, increased mobility, and fewer dosages. Other benefits of these pharmaceuticals for treating joint pain include:

• Fewer side effects – Using long-acting injectable pharmaceuticals to treat joint pain can result in fewer side effects for patients because they will receive less frequent dosages than with immediate-release approaches. The reduced side effects are also facilitated by patients receiving lower peak concentrations of the given drug.
• Improved patient compliance – Since long-acting joint pain pharmaceuticals necessitate fewer doses, patients who take them are more likely to follow the plan put in place by their healthcare professionals. This results in improved pain management and happier patients.
• Reduced pain level fluctuations – Patients who take immediate-release drugs may notice a fluctuation in pain levels for their joint issues, but long-acting injectables lessen this experience, offering a more stable and controlled release that manages pain.

Our Abilities in Joint Pain Drug Development

The Oakwood Labs team has been proud to tackle projects for osteoarthritis drug development and rheumatoid arthritis drug development, providing long-acting injectables with a release duration of three months.

Our team specializes in developing pharmaceuticals that treat joint pain and can assist with developing formulations, scaling up the manufacturing process, and manufacturing clinical and commercial quantities under GMPs.

We find that long-acting injectables are ideal for use with pharmaceuticals for treating joint pain because joint pain often emanates from a specific bodily area and high concentrations of a drug can be administered without resulting in systemic exposure. This, and the potential for disease-modifying results, are yet more benefits to the LAI approach.

Our Work with LAI Formulations

In terms of our work, Oakwood has developed a 3-month LAI formulation of meloxicam. Meloxicam is one of the more potent NSAIDs, which enables targeted release in the intra-articular space, and thus avoids the systemic side effects of NSAIDs. Due to the high potency of meloxicam, a smaller injection volume is possible.

Challenges We Have Faced

One of the current barriers to entering this particular space is the difficulty of developing the proper formulation. Microspheres are preferable to gels that solidify after injection due to the mechanics of the joint and intra-articular space. Microspheres should be greater than 20 microns to avoid macrophages attacking them. Work with our team of LAI experts to develop the right formulation.

Partner with Us on Drugs to Treat Joint Pain

Oakwood Labs is actively looking to partner with interested organizations for co-development of programs such as those focused on treating joint pain. Be sure to visit our partnership page for more information on our approach and all areas we focus on. We would love to work with you to bring new drugs to market.

Have Questions About Pharmaceuticals to Treat Joint Pain? Contact Us

Reach out to the team at Oakwood Labs today and we can discuss our methodologies, facilities, previous projects, and more. We look forward to hearing from you.