'Meaningful' FDA clearance opens new osteoarthritis treatment pathway
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week cleared a group of radiotherapy systems for use beyond cancer treatment.
Siemens Healthineers’ Varian RT systems, which include TrueBeam, TrueBeam STx, VitalBeam, and Edge, have been cleared for use in adults with medically refractory osteoarthritis. More than 33 million adults in the U.S. are affected by the inflammatory joint condition, which can be extremely painful and often limits patients’ mobility.
There are numerous treatment options for osteoarthritis, including steroid injections, physical therapy and prescription medication; however, when the condition progresses, the last option for many is a total joint replacement, which is a major surgery with a lengthy recovery time. Not all patients are surgical candidates, leaving many to deal with unresolved, often worsening pain.
Low-dose radiation therapy has emerged as a noninvasive alternative. It can target inflammation at the source, offering pain relief, improved mobility and prolonging patients’ ability to stay off of the operating table.
“This FDA clearance is a meaningful step toward integrating low-dose radiotherapy into routine care pathways for adults with medically refractory osteoarthritis,” Gopal K. Bajaj MD, president of Radiation Oncology Associates, Fairfax, Virginia, said in a statement. “For clinicians, it supports more consistent referrals and reimbursement discussions while encouraging responsible adoption and real-world outcomes tracking," he added later.
“This clearance is a powerful example of how we’re expanding the reach of precision radiotherapy to meet broader healthcare needs,” added Arthur Kaindl, head of Varian. “At Siemens Healthineers, we’re uniquely positioned to lead this transformation by bringing imaging and therapy together to improve lives not just in cancer care, but now in chronic conditions like osteoarthritis.”
Learn more about the systems here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.