Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA

In 2015, Lapane reported similar findings from a four-year follow-up analysis on glucosamine and chondroitin using data from the National Institutes of Health’s Osteoarthritis Initiative.

“These supplements can be costly and are not covered by health insurance,” notes Lapane. “Patients should consider the fact that they have not been proven to be efficacious before spending money on glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for osteoarthritis.”

The trial, which was funded by Spanish pharmaceutical company Tedec Meiji Farma SA, was the first to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of both drugs and include a data safety monitoring board to ensure bias-free data. Tedec Meiji did not participate in the study’s design or administration.