Epilepsy Medication Shows Potential to Repair Osteoarthritic Joints
Yale researchers tested lacosamide, an approved epilepsy drug, as a possible osteoarthritis treatment. In preclinical work, the drug blocked a protein tied to both pain and cartilage breakdown, and a hydrogel delivery method enhanced its effects. The approach appeared to reduce pain and encourage cartilage repair, though it has not yet been proven in patients.
Yale scientists studied lacosamide, an approved epilepsy medicine, in osteoarthritis. They paired it with a hydrogel intended to keep the drug within the joint. The target was Nav1.7, a sodium channel active in pain nerves and cartilage-maintaining chondrocytes.
In osteoarthritis, Nav1.7 activity rises, apparently worsening pain and cartilage loss. Blocking it seemed to reduce pain and support repair in preclinical tests. The findings appeared in Bioactive Materials, but patient benefit remains unproven.
If these preclinical results translate, people with osteoarthritis—especially those facing chronic pain or joint replacement—could gain a treatment option that may address symptoms and tissue damage. A gel-based joint injection might improve convenience or persistence, though safety, cost, and access remain unknown. Because it uses an already approved epilepsy drug, development could potentially move faster, but clinical trials are needed before any societal benefit is realized.