Hyalgan nears US shoulder pain market:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Hyalgan, the pain-relief product for osteoarthritic knees, has edged closer to a broader US market, after a filing to use the product as a treatment for shoulder pain was accepted by the FDA. The expanded indication is seeking to use the sodium hyaluronate preparation in the treatment of shoulder pain due to osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis in association with rotator cuff tears and/or adhesive capsulitis in patients who have failed to respond to conservative non-pharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics. Hyalgan is licensed and manufactured by Fidia Farmaceutici of Italy. Its sole distributor in the US, Sanofi-Aventis, said that according to the National Institute and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, shoulder problems account for about 1.5 million visits to orthopaedic surgeons annually.