Smith & Nephew Partners with Randy Johnson to Raise Awareness of Osteoarthritis and SUPARTZ(R) Joint Fluid Therapy

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Nephew's , Orthopaedic Trauma & Clinical Therapies division today announced a partnership with Major League Baseball pitcher Randy Johnson to raise awareness of osteoarthritis of the knee and SUPARTZ(R) Joint Fluid Therapy. Johnson suffers from osteoarthritis of the knee and has received injections of SUPARTZ since 2003 to alleviate the pain associated with the disease.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070214/NYW026 )

"Before SUPARTZ, my knee would swell and it was extremely painful to walk. SUPARTZ has helped me prolong my baseball career, and I want people who suffer from osteoarthritis to learn of alternatives to living with pain," said Johnson, 43. "With SUPARTZ I have been able to delay knee replacement surgery, and am able to maintain my active lifestyle without discomfort."

"Randy Johnson is one of the great pitchers in the game today and we are delighted that he is willing to share his story and the success he has had with SUPARTZ," said Mark Augusti, president of Smith & Nephew Trauma & Clinical Therapies. "We believe that this partnership will help us to deliver the message about the promise of this excellent product to many people who have similar debilitating problems."

Today, as many as 20 million Americans suffer from knee OA, and that number is expected to increase with the aging population and rising obesity rates. By the age of 65, approximately 80% of Americans have some sign of OA. Increases in life expectancy and aging populations are expected to make it the fourth leading cause of disability by 2020.

"Joint fluid therapy can provide local pain relief for debilitating knee pain without systemic drugs and may, in some cases, delay the need for a surgical procedure," said Ken Reali, vice president and general manager for the Smith & Nephew Clinical Therapies division. "We hope our combined efforts with Randy will help to educate both doctors and patients that there are less invasive and safer options to control their treatment of osteoarthritis knee pain.

"The company's Clinical Therapies division distributes SUPARTZ, a treatment for osteoarthritic knee pain, using intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. SUPARTZ Joint Fluid Therapy was the first hyaluronan joint fluid therapy commercially available for human use in treating osteoarthritis (OA). It has a long clinical history with more than 155 million injections of SUPARTZ Joint Fluid Therapy administered globally. It was approved in the U.S. by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001.

SUPARTZ Joint Fluid Therapy is covered by Medicare and most private payors.

About Randy Johnson

Johnson is a left-handed starting pitcher currently playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. One of the game's most dominating pitchers, Johnson has won the Cy Young Award, honoring the season's best pitcher, five times. He is a 10 time All-Star, a World Series MVP and has amassed over 4,500 strikeouts, ranking him 3rd overall in the history of baseball. In May 2004, Johnson became only the 17th player to throw a perfect game and at 40 years of age, the oldest.

About us

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business, specializing in, Orthopaedic Trauma & Clinical Therapies, Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Endoscopy and Advanced Wound Management products. Smith & Nephew is a global leader in arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the fastest growing global orthopaedics companies.

Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives. The company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high standards of performance, innovation and trust. The company has over 8,500 employees and operates in 33 countries around the world generating annual sales of $2.8 billion.

Editors notes

SUPARTZ Joint Fluid Therapy, an injection course of hyaluronic acid, is indicated for the treatment of pain from osteoarthritis of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative, non- pharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen.

SUPARTZ is a Trademark of the Seikagaku Corporation SUPARTZ is to be capitalized in all references

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