Comparing Alflutop and Chondroguard

Updated: 04/23/2021 15:12:57

Expert: Abramova Tsilya

Back and joint pain is familiar to many people. The reasons for it may be different, but the result is the same - a visit to the doctor, examination and treatment. Sometimes pain can be managed with medication; in other situations, surgery and subsequent rehabilitation treatment cannot be avoided.

In the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, various means are used, and a special place is given to chondroprotectors. They protect the joint cartilage from further destruction and restore its structure. There are many representatives in the group, but in this article we will consider only two drugs - Alflutop and Chondroguard. Despite the common task, they differ greatly in composition. Alflutop is a concentrate of biologically active components, Chondroguard is a completely synthetic product. Whether the composition of the drug affects its work and whether there is an effect from chondroprotectors, read the article.

Let's compare the composition: how the drugs differ

Alflutop and Chondroguard are drugs from the group of chondroprotectors. Another name for them is tissue regeneration stimulators, bone and cartilage tissue metabolism correctors. From the definition it is clear that the main task of chondroprotectors is to protect and stimulate the development of joint cartilage.

In Russian pharmacology, there are three generations of chondroprotectors:

First generation
– these are preparations of natural origin. These include Alflutop, a bioactive concentrate from small sea fish, obtained through extraction followed by isolation of proteins and lipids.
Second generation
– products of artificial origin. They contain hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate or collagen. These include Chondroguard (the active ingredient is sodium chondroitin sulfate).
Third generation
These are combination drugs. They contain two or more components simultaneously. Sometimes vitamins and minerals are added. We will not consider them in this article.

Alflutop and Chondroguard have the same release form - solution for injection. Medicines are administered intramuscularly or into the joint cavity. Chondroguard is cheaper - 700-800 rubles for 10 ampoules. Alflutop will cost 1400-1500 rubles for the same volume of the drug.

Comparison of ease of use of Chondrolone and Chondroguard

This includes dose selection taking into account various conditions and frequency of doses. At the same time, it is important not to forget about the release form of the drug; it is also important to take it into account when making an assessment.

The ease of use of Chondrolon is approximately the same as that of Chondroguard. However, they are not convenient enough to use.

The drug ratings were compiled by experienced pharmacists who studied international research. The report is generated automatically.

Last update date: 2020-12-04 13:46:35

How chondroprotectors protect the joint

The purpose of prescribing chondroprotectors is to protect and restore the cartilage tissue of the joint. But natural and synthetic products act differently. Let's figure out how this happens.

Alflutop

The active component of the drug is a bioconcentrate from small sea fish. It contains mucopolysaccharides, and above all it is chondroitin sulfate. The same component is included in the other product under consideration - Chondrogard. Alflutop also contains proteins, amino acids, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, copper and zinc ions.

What does Alflutop do:

prevents the destruction of cartilage tissue and stimulates its restoration;
inhibits the production of the enzyme hyaluronidase and triggers the synthesis of hyaluronic acid.
Alflutop relieves pain and eliminates inflammation, stimulates the regeneration of cartilage tissue, restores range of motion in the joint and inhibits the progression of the disease.

There are no data on the pharmacokinetics of the drug. It is unknown at what speed it penetrates into the joint cavity and how it is eliminated from the body.

Chondrogard

Chondroitin sulfate is a high molecular weight polysaccharide. Its main effects:

slows down the destruction of bone and cartilage tissue;
prevents calcium leaching;
accelerates the processes of regeneration of damaged tissues;
prevents compression of connective tissue;
acts as a lubricant-shock absorber for articular surfaces;
normalizes metabolism in cartilage tissue.

Chondroguard restores the structure of cartilage, relieves pain, increases the range of motion in the joint and inhibits the progression of the disease.

With a single administration, the drug reaches its maximum in the blood plasma after 3-4 hours, in the synovial fluid of the joint - after 4-5 hours. Excreted by the kidneys within 24 hours.

For all chondroprotectors the following statements are true:

They are classified as disease-modifying drugs: they inhibit the progression of the pathological process, and not only relieve symptoms.
They act slowly: the course of treatment lasts 4-8 weeks or more.
The synovial membrane does not prevent the drug from penetrating into the joint cavity, where it works.
The maximum effect is observed in the initial stages of the disease. In case of severe osteoarthritis, chondroprotectors can be used, but the result will not be so noticeable.
The inclusion of chondroprotectors in the treatment regimen allows you to reduce the dosage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and shorten the period of taking analgesics.
The bioavailability of the drug is higher when administered intra-articularly.

Comparison of the safety of Chondrolone and Chondrogard

The safety of a drug includes many factors.

At the same time, it is higher for Chondrogard than for Chondrolone. It is important where the drug is metabolized: drugs are excreted from the body either unchanged or in the form of products of their biochemical transformations. Metabolism occurs spontaneously, but most often involves major organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, brain and others. When assessing the metabolism of Chondrogard, as well as Chondrolone, we look at which organ is the metabolizing organ and how critical the effect on it is.

The risk-benefit ratio is when the prescription of a drug is undesirable, but justified under certain conditions and circumstances, with the obligatory observance of caution in use. At the same time, Chondrogard has fewer risks when used than Chondrolone.

Also, when calculating safety, it is taken into account whether only allergic reactions occur or possible dysfunction of the main organs. In other matters, as well as the reversibility of the consequences of using Chondrogard and Chondrolone.

Let's evaluate the effectiveness of the drugs: do chondroprotectors always work?

Chondroprotectors are presented on the modern pharmacological market as indispensable agents for osteoarthritis. According to numerous scientific articles, they should protect the joint, prevent its further destruction and inhibit the development of the pathological process. But no clear evidence of the effectiveness of these funds has been found. The Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) has designated chondroitin and glucosamine (the main components of chondroprotectors) as unsuitable for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joints. Their effect on mitigating disease symptoms has been assessed as mixed. OARSI suggests taking these medications for no more than 6 months and stopping them if there is no improvement within that period.

Chondroprotectors have long been the focus of attention of scientists, but there are not many serious materials on this issue. We present to your attention the results of two randomized, double, placebo-controlled studies:

LEGS: the authors did not find a significant advantage of chondroprotectors over placebo.
GAIT: treatment with chondroprotectors also did not show a statistically significant advantage over placebo. Adverse reactions were similar in both groups.
Let's turn to the Cochrane Library. One review showed that the use of chondroprotectors slightly improves the condition of cartilage and relieves pain. Another found chondroitin to be more effective than placebo, but rated the evidence as low quality.
Russian-language sources provide a study in which the authors compared Alflutop and Chondroguard. But the sample of patients is small - only 32 people. The study was open-label and did not meet international standards. The authors did not find significant differences in the effects of the two drugs under consideration.

Comparison of side effects of Chondrolone and Chondrogard

Side effects or adverse events are any adverse medical event that occurs in a subject after administration of a drug.

Chondrolone's side effects are almost the same as Chondrogard's. They both have few side effects. This implies that the frequency of their occurrence is low, that is, the indicator of how many cases of an undesirable effect of treatment are possible and registered is low. The undesirable effect on the body, the strength of influence and the toxic effect of Chondrolone are similar to Chondrogard: how quickly the body recovers after taking it and whether it recovers at all.

Application diagram

Indications for prescribing drugs are similar:

primary and secondary osteoarthritis of various localizations (damage to the knee, hip, shoulder and other joints);
chronic diseases of the spine: osteochondrosis, spondylosis;
Osteoporosis is a disease associated with loss of calcium in bone tissue.

Chondroguard is also prescribed for fractures to speed up bone healing.

Both drugs are administered intramuscularly every day or inside the joint at intervals of 3-5 days. The course of treatment is calculated individually and lasts 4-8 weeks. Usually, after a short course of injections, the patient is transferred to chondroprotectors in tablets.

Comparison of addiction between Chondrolone and Chondrogard

Like safety, addiction also involves many factors that must be considered when evaluating a drug.

So, the totality of the values of such parameters as “o syndrome” in Chondrolone is quite similar to the similar values in Chondrogard. Withdrawal syndrome is a pathological condition that occurs after the cessation of intake of addictive or dependent substances into the body. And resistance is understood as initial immunity to a drug; in this it differs from addiction, when immunity to a drug develops over a certain period of time. The presence of resistance can only be stated if an attempt has been made to increase the dose of the drug to the maximum possible. At the same time, Chondrolone has a fairly low incidence of “syndrome”, just like Chondrogard.

conclusions

To summarize:

Alflutop and Chondroguard are drugs from the group of chondroprotectors. They protect articular cartilage from destruction and stimulate its regeneration. Prescribed for osteoarthritis and diseases of the spine: they relieve pain and slow down the progression of the process.
Alflutop is a drug of natural origin, Chondroguard is a synthetic product. Their mechanism of action is slightly different, but the result is the same. Indications, contraindications and adverse reactions for the drugs are similar.
Regarding chondroprotectors, one controversial issue remains - this is the position of evidence-based medicine. Data on the effectiveness of these drugs is controversial, and debates still continue in the scientific community. For now, only one conclusion can be drawn: it is not possible to speak unequivocally about the benefits of chondroprotectors, but there will be no harm from them. Adverse reactions are rare, and these drugs will not cause significant harm to the body.

It is important to remember one more point: chondroprotectors are not able to completely reverse the disease. They work mainly in the early stages of process development. If the cartilage is severely damaged, medications will not help - surgery is needed.

Comparison of the effectiveness of Chondrolone and Chondrogard

The effectiveness of Chondrolone is quite similar to Chondrogard - this means that the ability of the drug substance to provide the maximum possible effect is similar.
For example, if the therapeutic effect of Chondrolone is more pronounced, then using Chondroguard even in large doses will not achieve this effect.

Also, the speed of therapy - an indicator of the speed of therapeutic action - is approximately the same for Chondrolone and Chondroguard. And bioavailability, that is, the amount of a drug reaching its site of action in the body, is similar. The higher the bioavailability, the less it will be lost during absorption and use by the body.