Tanezumab for Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Meta-Analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Tanezumab is a new therapeutic intervention for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We performed the present meta-analysis to appraise the efficacy and safety of tanezumab for patients with knee OA.


METHODS
We systematically searched randomized controlled trials from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The primary outcomes were mean change in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain, the WOMAC physical function and patient's global assessment (PGA). Outcomes were reported as the standard mean difference (SMD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). We assessed the pooled data using a random-effects model.


RESULTS
Of the identified studies, four were eligible and were included in this meta-analysis (N = 1839 participants). Compared with the placebo groups, tanezumab yielded a significant reduction in mean change in the WOMAC pain (SMD = 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.69, P<0.00001), the WOMAC physical function (SMD = 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.74, P<0.00001) and PGA (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.47, P<0.00001). There was no significant difference in serious adverse events (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.92, P = 0.84) between the tanezumab and placebo groups. Tanezumab significantly increased discontinuations due to adverse events (RR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.59 to 5.26, P = 0.0005), abnormal peripheral sensations (RR = 3.14, 95% CI 2.12 to 4.66, P<0.00001), and peripheral neuropathy (RR = 6.05, 95% CI 2.32 to 15.81, P = 0.0002).


CONCLUSIONS
Tanezumab can alleviate pain and improve function for patients with OA of the knee. However, considering the limited number of studies, this conclusion should be interpreted cautiously and more clinical randomized controlled trials are needed to verify the efficacy and safety of tanezumab for OA of the knee.
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Shun-Li
SL
Kan
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Yan
Y
Li
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Guang-Zhi
GZ
Ning
School of Nursing, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China.
Zhi-Fang
ZF
Yuan
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Ling-Xiao
LX
Chen
Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, China.
Ming-Chao
MC
Bi
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Jing-Cheng
JC
Sun
Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Shi-Qing
SQ
Feng
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C549319:tanezumab