OT: Scientists to Test 'Natural' Arthritis Drug for Osteoarthritis

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Scientists to Test 'Natural' Arthritis Drug

Monday December 11 4:27 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federally funded U.S. researchers are starting

one of the first trials of a popular ``natural'' supplement for

arthritis and joint pain, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said

on Monday.

The $14 million study will check into whether glucosamine and

chondroitin work against osteoarthritis. The two supplements are widely

sold as an aid to joint pain, both separately and as a package, but few

studies have been done on whether they actually work.

``Only a few rather small studies have been published in the worldwide

literature, to-date,'' Dr. Straus, director of the National

Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), said in a

statement. ``Those short-term, controlled clinical trials suggested that

glucosamine is effective in relieving pain and increasing range of

motion in patients with osteoarthritis,'' Straus added. ``This major new

study will provide compelling answers about the safety and effectiveness

of glucosamine and/or chondroitin, to the nearly 40 million Americans

who suffer with osteoarthritis.''

The NCCAM, one of the National Institutes of Health, will pay for the

University of Utah and various other centers around the country study of

1,500 people.