Drug developer CombinatoRx Inc. said Monday that its experimental osteoarthritis drug significantly reduced patients' pain in a mid-stage study.

The trial looked at the drug, CRx-102, in 83 patients with osteoarthritis of the hand over six weeks. The disease occurs when cartilage between the joints wears away, causing pain and limiting movement.

CombinatoRx said patients on CRx-102 posted a 33 percent improvement in pain, compared with a 10 percent improvement for those who took a placebo.

The most common side effects were headaches and nausea, and patients reported no serious side effects.

CombinatoRx is also studying CRx-102 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The drug is a combination pill that includes a steroid that is used to treat inflammatory diseases with another drug to reduce the steroid's negative side effects.

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