WNBA Legend Sheryl Swoopes Teams Up With Flexion Therapeutics

Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. is partnering with Women’s National Basketball Association Legend Sheryl Swoopes and the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) to raise awareness of ZILRETTA as a treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) knee pain.

ZILRETTA (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension) is an intra-articular injection that slowly releases a steroid in the knee over three months to help manage osteoarthritis pain.

Basketball Hall of Famer Swoopes is a ZILRETTA patient and is the first athlete from the WNBA to join the awareness program.

She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA and is a three-time WNBA MVP. She won three Olympic gold medals—one of 10 women’s basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal—a National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship and a WNBA title. She was also elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and is an active leader in the NBRPA.

Michael Clayman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Flexion Therapeutics told Orthopedics This Week, “We are incredibly excited to partner with NBRPA and Sheryl. Sheryl set the standard for WNBA and is an elite athlete of the highest level.

“When her knee pain was restricting her activity, she consulted with Dr. Rabah Qadir, a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at the Woodlands Sports Medicine Center who recommended ZILRETTA. Her experience with ZILRETTA has been very positive. She has been able to do exercises she hadn’t been able to for a while because of the pain,” Dr. Clayman said.

Dr. Qadir, who is also the chairman of orthopedic surgery at Memorial Hermann Woodlands Medical Center in the Houston area, said in a statement, “While Sheryl has enjoyed the career of an elite athlete, unfortunately, her experience with OA knee pain is far from unique. Knee injuries, especially cartilage and meniscus injuries are common for basketball players and can lead to OA over time. After evaluating Sheryl and understanding her desire to stay active with a non-surgical treatment plan, ZILRETTA was an obvious choice to offer Sheryl the extended pain relief she needed.”

On the partnership, Swoopes said, “I fully understand the way OA knee pain can impact your life in every aspect, not just physically but mentally. To be able to tell my story and share the results of what can be done with treatment with my colleagues, friends, former players and family is very important. This partnership will not only help many of the athletes who have played in the NBA and WNBA, but it will serve to raise awareness for thousands who may be suffering in silence.”

“The best partnerships are all about authenticity, and we found out through a survey of our membership that knee pain ranked among retired players’ top ailments following their careers,” added Scott Rochelle, NBRPA’s executive director.

National Football League Hall of Famer Rod Woodson and 1980 USA hockey team captain and gold medal winner Mike Eruzione are also ZILRETTA patients and athlete ambassadors for the treatment.

“ZILRETTA is a product that can make a real difference in a patients’ lives,” Dr. Clayman said in an interview with OTW.

ZILRETTA has also been shown to avoid the hyperglycemia associated with immediate release triamcinolone acetonide because of its extended release profile,” he added. This is important because approximately 20% of osteoarthritis patients also have diabetes.

Physicians can learn more at https://www.getthez.com/.