Johnson and Johnson to market approved arthritis drug

Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has been boosted after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an osteoarthritis treatment, more than four years after the application was first submitted.

Monovisc – which is already approved for use in a number of global markets – was first considered by the FDA in December 2009, but the filing was rejected on the grounds of deficiencies in the data supplied.

This ruling was then upheld on appeal in December 2012, but an amended application was submitted in January 2013 and this was finally approved on Tuesday (February 25th).

Developed by Anika, the drug will be marketed by J&J through its Depuy Synthes subsidiary and a $5 million (2.99 million pounds) milestone payment will be made when it first goes on sale in the US. Further instalments, product transfers and royalty fees will be due under the agreement signed in 2011.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are currently around 27 million people in the US living with osteoarthritis.