CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina and DUSSELDORF, Germany, February 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Algynomics and Orthogen announced a Strategic Alliance in the area of Individualized Orthopedic Medicine. The alliance will facilitate clinical studies designed to identify genetic markers of orthopedic diseases and responses to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. "New discoveries in the area of pain genetics will soon change clinical practice by helping treating healthcare providers to choose the best treatment options for their orthopedic patients", said Dr. William Maixner, President of Algynomics. Algynomics' Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Luda Diatchenko, has published several findings in the area of pain genetics, including a recent article in Science (December 2006), which has identified a unique genetic basis to common musculoskeletal pain conditions.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, temporomandibular joint disorders and degenerative spine disease are leading causes of adult disability, affecting 15-30% of the North American and European populations. The susceptibility to develop these conditions and the responses to treatment is highly variable and influenced by variations in several genes.
A current joint ongoing prospective randomized study in knee-OA is underway. This study will identify genetic polymorphisms that predict the treatment responses to interarticular hyaluronic acid (HA) or Orthokine, a product of Orthogen proven to be effective and safe for the treatment of OA and sciatica. The results will be presented at the AAOS in San Diego (February, 15). "In the future, gene tests could help orthopedic surgeons to decide if a disc prolapse is better treated by surgery or with agents such as Orthokine", said Dr. Peter Wehling, President of Orthogen.
Press Contact: Algynomics, Inc. Dr. William Maixner 125 Ironwoods Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Tel.: +1-919-672-4542 E-mail: wmaixner@algynomics.comwww.algynomics.com Orthogen AG Antje Kassel E-mail: antje.kassel@orthogen.comwww.orthogen.com
Orthogen AGCONTACT: Press Contact: Algynomics, Inc., Dr. William Maixner, 125Ironwoods Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, Tel.: +1-919-672-4542, E-mail:wmaixner@algynomics.com, www.algynomics.com; Orthogen AG, Antje Kassel,E-mail: antje.kassel@orthogen.com, www.orthogen.com
