Dear RSTN Members,

Hand Osteoarthritis Drug Trial open for recruitment in Oxford and London

Are you seeing someone with painful hand osteoarthritis, who you are not listing for surgery? Would they be eligible for the HOPE-e study?

HOPE-e is a 28 week feasibility study of a randomised placebo-controlled trial testing the effects of a once daily form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), (conjugated estrogens + bazedoxifene) on hand pain in postmenopausal women with hand OA.

Eligible patients can join the study at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, or Charing Cross Hospital, London, so would need to be prepared to travel to either centre for study visits (travel would be re-imbursed).

Key inclusion/exclusion criteria

• 40–65 year old postmenopausal women
• ≥1 year & ≤10 years since last menstrual period; no current systemic HRT
• Hand OA fulfilling ACR clinical criteria; minimum 2 affected interphalangeal joints
• Hand pain ≥4/10 in severity; failed to respond adequately to treatment including first line analgesic

• No medical contraindications to the use of estrogens/systemic hormone replacement therapy
• BMI ≤ 30

If you have any questions, or would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Fiona Watt (Chief Investigator), fiona.watt@kennedy.ox.ac.uk, or the study office on 01865 612661, ouh-tr.hope-e@nhs.net.

Further information including a patient information leaflet can also be found on the study website: https://hope.octru.ox.ac.uk/.  Individuals can self-refer if they interested.