A drug made from garden flowers could transform treatment of arthritis.
Called APPA, the pill is based on anti-inflammatory compounds found in peonies – flowers that brighten up flowerbeds in late spring and summer.
In animal tests, APPA eased pain and slowed destruction of cartilage, the body’s built-in shock absorber which keeps joints healthy.
Now researchers at Liverpool University are to test it on 14 patients.
Professor Robert Moots, who is leading the trial, says: ‘APPA has the potential to be a game-changing treatment.’