Osteoarthritis (OA) affects more than 600 million people worldwide and remains a leading cause of pain, disability, and joint replacement. Despite its enormous burden, current care continues to fall short: core treatments are underused, many patients receive low-value or fragmented care, and available pharmacologic options offer only modest benefit with safety concerns. Optimising evidence-based foundations—education, weight management, exercise therapy, and psychologically informed care—must remain the first priority. These interventions are highly effective, scalable, and central to preventing treatment failure, yet remain inconsistently implemented across health systems. At the same time, rapid innovation is reshaping what is possible in OA management.
- Repurposed medications: such as GLP-1 agonists, metformin, and methotrexate show meaningful improvements in pain, function, and potentially disease progression.
- Digital health tools: AI-enabled self-management platforms, and remote monitoring tools are transforming access, adherence, and personalised care.
- Advances in smart drug delivery systems: Rather than just treating symptoms, senolytics and therapies that aim to modify OA by targeting specific molecular mechanisms (Endo-type targeted disease modifying drugs - DMOADs) offer the prospect of precision medicine, with pivotal trials expected in 2026.
The future of OA care will rely on integrating these innovations with optimised core treatment models. Combining behavioural, pharmacological, and technological strategies offers an opportunity to reduce treatment failure, promote equity, and deliver patient-centred, mechanism-aligned care at scale.
SPEAKER: Professor David Hunter | Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology, Professor of Medicine, NHMRC Leadership Investigator Fellow, Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney and Rheumatology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital.
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hem-qtynTSaZEVbMFEflfQ#/registration
