Finally, Pentosan Polysulfate is getting the attention it deserves. This drug was invented in the 1940’s and has been used for interstitial cystitis, thrombi, and experimentally, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, and various other infectious diseases.
The chondroprotective ( cartilage protecting ) aspects of this drug have been known since the 1980’s, and only recently did a few pharmaceutical companies decide to take this inexpensive drug through through the process of clinical trials for treatment of osteoarthritis on humans.
Earlier this year, Chanelle launched Osteopen, a Pentosan Polysulfate formulation for use in dogs in the USA:
https://www.vetsurgeon.org/news/b/veterinary-news/archive/2018/11/15/chanelle-launches-osteopen-for-arthritis-in-dogs.aspx
And in Australia, a company named Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals has passed the drug through Phase 2 clinical trials and is undergoing the process for human approval:
Another point of interest is that the Australian Football League has been using this drug experimentally for speeding the recovery of cartilage after strenuous exercise, under an Australian program called the ‘special access scheme’:
https://theconversation.com/what-is-pentosan-polysulphate-sodium-pps-and-why-are-afl-players-using-it-94569
Time will tell as to when this drug is formally approved for use in humans. The one positive aspect about Pentasan Polysulfate is that it is already approved for a variety of conditions and the safety profile is known in many countries. We may see this drug commercialized before competitors such as Sprifermin, Invossa, TPX-100, etc.
