Clinical benefits of undenatured chicken collagen type II Unstergen® as a nutritional therapy in the management of osteoarthritis: a double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease affecting millions globally, often leading to pain and reduced mobility. Nutraceuticals like undenatured chicken collagen are gaining attention for their potential in symptom relief. This proof-of-concept study evaluates the clinical efficacy of Unstergen® of Titan Biotech Limited in the management of OA. Methods: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study studies 48 adults with OA. Subjects received 40 mg/day of Unstergen® (n=32) or placebo (n=16) once a day for 90 days. Outcomes were assessed using WOMAC score, pain scale, quality of life questionnaire (QoL) for all and global rating of change scale (GROC) using X ray of target joint for a cohort of 12 subjects. Results: Unstergen group demonstrated statistically significant reduction of 20.39% in Western Ontario and McMaster universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores and 37.77% in pain numerical rating scale (Pain NRS) compared to 7.24% and 8.70% reduction in the placebo arm, respectively. The 90.32% subjects reported improvement in QoL compared to placebo (p<0.05). The 87.50% subjects were deemed to have marked improvement on their X ray while no subject in the placebo arm showed improvement after 90 days. No adverse event was attributed to Unstergen and was deemed clinically safe. Conclusions: Unstergen® demonstrated significant improvement in pain, function and QoL; highlighting its role as a novel nutraceutical supplementation therapy for OA.