Briefing Note - glucosamine (Alateris)

SMC did not recommend glucosamine for the relief of symptoms in mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.

• osteoarthritis is a condition that causes stiffness, pain and loss of movement in joints such as knees and hips. It occurs when the surface of bones become damaged or worn away.
• Patients with mild or moderate cases of osteoarthritis often used simple pain killers (eg paracetamol) or anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the pain. Glucosamine is a dietary supplement that may help relieve symptoms.
• The effectiveness of this particular product of glucosamine (glucosamine hydrochloride) has not been studied in clinical trials. Studies have shown that other products containing glucosamine are not consistently better than placebo (a dummy treatment containing no active drug) at improving symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee.
• There are no safety issues of particular concern.
• SMC did not accept glucosamine because the evidence submitted by the manufacturer failed to show that this product offers good value for money.