Clinical Trials
for Arthritis
Arthritis trials test biologics, JAK inhibitors, stem-cell therapies, and pain-management protocols for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.
Arthritis clinical trials: what to expect
Arthritis trials are split by type. Rheumatoid arthritis studies test biologics, targeted pills and, more recently, cell therapies in people whose joints stay inflamed despite methotrexate or a biologic. Knee osteoarthritis studies test injections meant to slow cartilage loss, new pain medicines, devices and exercise and weight programs. Psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout each have their own trials, and a listing will always say which type it enrolls.
Who arthritis trials usually look for
Rheumatoid arthritis trials count swollen and tender joints and measure inflammation in the blood at screening, and ask that a standard medicine has not worked well enough; methotrexate usually continues, while a current biologic is stopped after a washout. Knee osteoarthritis trials need an X-ray showing moderate damage, a pain score above a threshold, and no steroid or hyaluronic acid injection in the past few months; many set a weight limit. Ages are usually 18 to 80, and most trials exclude pregnancy and a recent serious infection.
What taking part involves
Screening includes a joint exam, blood work and X-rays or an MRI. Rheumatoid arthritis trials run six to twelve months with visits every four weeks for an injection or infusion and labs; placebo arms are common, with rescue rules so no one stays on an ineffective treatment for long. Osteoarthritis injection trials give one or a few injections at the site and follow you for six to twenty-four months with pain diaries and imaging. Exercise trials involve supervised sessions for eight to twelve weeks. Study care is free and visits are usually paid.
Questions worth asking the study team
Which of your medicines continue; how long any washout is; the chance of placebo and the rescue rules; how imaging is scheduled; and whether an extension lets everyone receive the active treatment.
Showing 15 of 297 recruiting trials
Arthritis clinical trials by state
Questions about Arthritis clinical trials
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