Efficacy of Bioactive Collagen Peptide Compared to Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate in Grade I-III Knee Osteoarthritis

Overview

Brief Summary The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether bioactive collagen peptide works as well as glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate for improving pain, stiffness, physical function, and quality of life in adults with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grades I to III). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does bioactive collagen peptide improve knee pain, stiffness, and physical function over 12 weeks? Does bioactive collagen peptide improve health-related quality of life? Is bioactive collagen peptide as safe and effective as glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate for treating knee osteoarthritis? Researchers will compare bioactive collagen peptide with glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to determine whether one treatment provides greater improvement in symptoms and quality of life. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to receive either bioactive collagen peptide once daily or glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate twice daily for 12 weeks. Attend study visits at the start of the study and again at 6 and 12 weeks. Complete questionnaires about their knee pain, stiffness, physical function, and overall health-related quality of life at each visit. Be monitored for treatment adherence, use of rescue pain medication, and any side effects throughout the study. The information from this study may help healthcare providers better understand whether bioactive collagen peptide is an effective and safe non-surgical treatment option for people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of chronic pain, disability, and reduced quality of life among adults. Current non-surgical management focuses primarily on symptom relief through exercise, weight management, physical therapy, and analgesic medications. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain widely used, their long-term use may be limited by gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal adverse effects. As a result, there is increasing interest in nutraceutical therapies that may provide symptomatic relief with a more favorable safety profile. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate are among the most commonly used symptomatic slow-acting agents for osteoarthritis, although published evidence regarding their effectiveness remains inconsistent. Bioactive collagen peptides have emerged as a potential alternative treatment because they may support cartilage metabolism and reduce symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. However, direct comparative evidence between bioactive collagen peptides and glucosamine-chondroitin sulphate remains limited. This study is a prospective, single-center, open-label, parallel-group randomized controlled trial designed to compare the efficacy and safety of oral bioactive collagen peptide with oral glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate in adults with symptomatic Kellgren-Lawrence grade I to III knee osteoarthritis. Participants are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either oral bioactive collagen peptide or oral glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate for 12 weeks. Clinical assessments are performed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. The study evaluates changes in knee pain, stiffness, physical function, and health-related quality of life using validated patient-reported outcome measures, including the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. Safety is evaluated throughout the study by monitoring adverse events, medication compliance, and the use of rescue analgesics. The primary objective is to determine whether bioactive collagen peptide provides clinical improvement comparable to glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate in reducing symptoms and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in health-related quality of life and comparing the safety and tolerability of both treatment strategies. The findings of this study will provide comparative evidence regarding two commonly prescribed oral nutraceutical therapies for knee osteoarthritis and may help inform evidence-based conservative management of patients with early and moderate disease.