Circle Health Group has entered into a new partnership with biotechnical company Contura International. The partnership will see the Arthrosamid injection become available to patients across the UK.
The treatment will help patients who are unable to have knee replacement surgery and has been described as a ‘game-changing’ treatment by Orthopedicians for patients who suffer with osteoarthritis.
This comes after an agreement was signed between Circle Health Group and Contura International Limited to introduce the Arthrosamid injection which will see the new treatment being used across the UK-wide network of hospitals for the first time. Arthrosamid is a polyacrylamide hydrogel, which can be injected into the knees to help patients suffering with osteoarthritis, a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff.
8.5 million people in the UK (around 1 in 5 people aged over 45 in England) suffer from Osteoarthritis. The new treatment could potentially change the present pathway for managing the condition.
Currently, knee replacement surgery is perceived to be the only solution available for patients. However, Arthrosamid represents an innovative solution to manage osteoarthritis and relieve symptoms more effectively. The treatment could help a wide range of patients from athletes to people who are keen walkers and are not ready to undergo knee-replacement surgery.
After 20 years of clinical trials, Arthrosamid was approved to be used in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2021.
The treatment will be used for the first time at Bishops Wood Hospital in Northwood starting from the middle of November before being introduced in all 53 hospitals that Circle Health Group operates.
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Vikas Vedi has been a qualified consultant since 2006 and currently works at the Bishops Wood Hospital. The hospital is set to become the first site in the Circle Health Group to conduct the treatment when it becomes available to patients. Speaking about the new treatment, Mr Vedi said: “I’m very excited to be bringing Arthrosamid to Circle Health Group and its 53 hospitals. It’s a new innovation and we want to be at the forefront of orthopaedic treatment. I’m pleased that we have got it across the line so that we can offer it to our patients locally.”
Explaining more about the new treatment, Mr Vedi added: “Arthrosamid is an additional treatment where there is a gap in the market for those patients who have arthritis and are symptomatic, but whose condition is not severe enough to warrant a knee replacement.
“This is meant to last three years, so this will hopefully slow down the progress of arthritis. It’s a big game changer in terms of treating patients who have this condition.”
Paul Manning, Chief Medical Officer at Circle Health Group said: “As an organisation, we are committed to providing patients with access to the latest technology and innovative treatments. Arthrosamid represents a significant step forward in the field of preventative osteoarthritis treatment.
Rakesh Tailor, Chief Executive Officer at Contura International added: “We look forward to helping a greater number of patients across our hospitals and this new treatment reaffirms our commitment to delivering the best possible care through ground-breaking expertise in orthopaedics.”
‘’We are delighted to announce a new relationship with Circle Health Group. This partnership is very much in line with our strategy to expand our network of expert clinicians across the UK to treat patients with a non-invasive alternative to knee surgery.
“Since launching the treatment two years ago, Arthrosamid has been used to treat many thousands of patients across Europe. We’ve had multiple enquiries from expert clinicians based in the Circle Health Group wishing to treat their patients with Arthrosamid.”
