Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is the main building block for the cartilage (hyaline cartilage) that ultimately degrades in the arthritic process. It is theorized to promote healthier function of the affected joint and typically administered in a series of injections.

In a group of patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA), HA injections were found to provide 66% of study participants with up to 66% relief of symptoms. However, 28% of participants ultimately underwent surgical treatment within 7 months of the injections. HA alone is analogous to "eating hair to grow hair." It is not very effective. So why do a small percentage of patients get relief? HA is very viscous and provides relief due to the “lubrication” effect that it has on a joint -- Kind of like “greasing the wheels.”

However, using HA with the peptide, AOD9604 is a much more effective option for treating joint pain and degradation.

HA in combination with AOD9604 is now being used to help regenerate hyaline cartilage and is showing strong efficacy in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The combination acts to enhance the differentiation of adipose mesenchymal stem cells into bone, promote proteoglycan and collagen production in chondrocytes, and promote differentiation of myoblasts into C2C12 cells; all of which are essential for bone, cartilage, and muscle repair. These studies indicate that it has stronger therapeutic benefits compared to Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, which have also been emerging as candidates for osteoarthritis medications. AOD9604 + HA has proceeded to human WOMAC trials which allow the combination to be investigated for on an osteoarthritis index which considers pain, stiffness, and functionality on a variety of scores.