Clinical Study Data: Knee Efficacy

Voltaren effectively treats knee OA

Clinically proven to reduce pain and improve physical function

The Knee is the Joint Most Commonly Affected by OA

According to the Arthritis Foundation, about 13% of women and 10% of men 60 and older have symptomatic knee OA.¹ With aging populations, increased rates of obesity, and injuries, there will continue to be more patients affected by OA. This can lead to serious effects on their mobility and quality of life.

Study Summary: Efficacy & safety of diclofenac sodium gel for treating knee OA
Study objective & methodology

A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study to assess the efﬁcacy and safety of topical diclofenac sodium gel 1% (DSG 1%) in mild to moderate symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Results:

Patients treated with DSG 1% exhibited signiﬁcant improvement compared to vehicle in:

Mean WOMAC pain index at Week 12

Mean WOMAC physical function at Week 12

Mean global rating of disease at Week 12

Reductions in pain on movement at Week 4

Download our study summary to learn more about how treating knee OA with DSG 1% achieved clinically significant improvements in pain and physical function compared to vehicle over 12 weeks with low systemic exposure and favorable tolerability.

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Study Summary: Efficacy & safety of diclofenac sodium gel for treating knee OA in elderly and younger patients
Study objective & methodology

Three 12-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials to compare the safety and efficacy of topical diclofenac sodium gel 1% (DSG) for knee OA in patients aged ≥65 years versus 25–64 years.

Results:

Patients treated with DSG 1% exhibited signiﬁcant improvement compared to vehicle in:

In patients aged 25–64 years, application of DSG led to around 47% improvement in pain relief and increased mobility up to 45% from baseline at week 12

In patients aged ≥65 years, application of DSG led to 44% improvement in pain relief and increased mobility up to 39% from baseline at week 12

DSG provides effective analgesia and potential tolerability benefit with low systemic exposure to adult patients with knee OA pain, regardless of age (25-92 years)

Download our study summary below to learn more.

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Study Summary: Safety & effectiveness of NSAIDs and opioids for treating OA
Study objective & methodology

This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of different preparations and doses of NSAIDs, opioids, and acetaminophen to help health care providers manage knee OA pain and physical function with patients ranging from 48-72 years.

Results:

Opioid interventions did not appear to have a clinically relevant effect on pain and demonstrated significantly worse safety profiles

Acetaminophen 3900 to 4000 mg/day had the lowest effect on OA pain, with an effect size of −0.15, corresponding to a 4-mm difference on a 100-mm visual analogue scale

Topical diclofenac, regardless of dose, had the largest effect on pain and physical function compared to other topical treatments. Both doses (70-81 mg/day and 140-160mg/day) demonstrated a better safety profile than oral diclofenac

Diclofenac 150 mg/day and etoricoxib 60 mg/day appeared to be the most effective interventions for pain relief

Download our study summary to learn more about how each treatment option compared.

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Clinical Poster: Efficacy comparison of diclofenac sodium 1% gel and acetaminophen for knee OA
Study objective

The purpose of this review is to compare the published clinical efficacy data of DSG to that of acetaminophen extended-release (AER) and acetaminophen sustained-release (ASR) for treatment of knee OA symptoms.

Methodology

Retrospective evaluation of published placebo-controlled trials that used the Western Ontario and McMasters Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)4 to examine the efficacy of DSG 1% to AER or ASR in the treatment of knee OA.

Results:

ASR did not achieve statistically significant efficacy vs placebo for WOMAC pain, physical function or stiffness subscales.

DSG 1% demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful efficacy in all WOMAC subscales vs placebo.

AER demonstrated statistically significant efficacy vs placebo in some WOMAC endpoints at 3900 mg/day, nearly the maximum daily limit for acetaminophen (4000mg/day).

Download our poster to learn more about how treating knee OA with diclofenac sodium gel 1% (DSG 1%) achieved greater clinically and statistically significant improvements in pain, function and stiffness compared to placebo than acetaminophen extended release compared to placebo when dosed at nearly the daily limit (3,900mg, 4,000mg maximum).*

*DSG1% and acetaminophen extended release have not been evaluated in a head-to-head study.

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