New Oklahoma company seeks to reduce pain of osteoarthritis
By Scott Meacham
Copyright © 2015 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects millions of people worldwide, causing pain and joint dysfunction — cruelly impacting mobility and quality of life.
There’s no cure for osteoarthritis. It just gets worse over time.
Certainly there are things that people can do. Exercise and proper diet may help prevent or delay the condition. There are over-the-counter and prescription medications for temporary pain relief. There are also cortisone shots, arthroscopic surgeries, and replacement surgery for knees and hips.
Now, there’s a medical breakthrough from Arthrokinex, a young Oklahoma company. This new, natural, nonsurgical injection therapy was developed by Angelique Barreto, MD, MSc and chief medical officer of Arthrokinex.
There is a protein in everyone’s blood that fights inflammation, a protein that is defined by each individual’s genetic code.
Arthrokinex’s therapy extracts that protein from a sample of the patient’s blood. Through a separation process developed by Barreto, a liquid concentration packed with the patient’s own inflammation-fighting and growth proteins is created. There’s nothing synthetic or manufactured.
A trained Arthrokinex physician uses an ultrasound to target the patient’s pain and place the injection there.
Barreto says that Arthrokinex therapy has been used to treat more than 750 patients so far.
“I have never seen such rapid pain relief in patients with osteoarthritis before,” Barreto said. “The results have amazed me.”
Here’s what makes this company is so interesting.
The therapy has the potential to reduce pain and improve the lives of millions of patients (plenty of them in middle age). Arthrokinex solves a big problem for a large market and creates Oklahoma jobs.
The solution is natural and nonsurgical and based on years of research. There are no drugs involved.
Arthrokinex allows affiliated physicians to incorporate this therapy into their existing practices. The company provides complete clinical and operational support, including billing and collections. More patients can be treated and physicians have the opportunity to enhance revenues while expanding their practices.
“We train the doctors and staff to perform the treatments in their offices” said Rob Baughman, Arthrokinex CEO, “and pay them for every procedure within the program.”
There are currently Arthrokinex centers in Oklahoma City, Norman and two locations in Austin, Texas.
“The company is well positioned for national expansion, as we are growing rapidly and already in discussions with several large East Coast physician practices as well,” Baughman said.
Arthrokinex uses the Internet and social media in a very creative and non-intrusive way to connect with osteoarthritis suffers who believe they could benefit from this procedure.
Bringing new healthcare therapies into the market successfully is a real challenge for a young company. Arthrokinex has a credible plan for bringing a potentially game-changing therapy from Oklahoma to the whole nation.
Read the full story at newsok.com
Scott Meacham is president and CEO of i2E Inc., a nonprofit corporation that mentors many of the state’s technology-based startup companies. i2E receives state appropriations from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Contact Meacham at i2E_Comments@i2E.org.
