Garcia, J.M., Friend, J., & Allen, S. (2012). Therapeutic potential of anamorelin, a novel, oral ghrelin mimetic, in patients with cancer-related cachexia: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, crossover, pilot study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 21, 129–137.
To evaluate the effects of anamorelin in patients with cancer-related cachexia
Patients received anamorelin 50 mg/day or placebo for a three-day treatment period. This was followed by a seven-day washout period. After the washout, patients were switched to the opposite intervention. Assessments were done at baseline and at the end of each study period. Patients were stratified according to level of weight loss prior to random assignment to the treatment condition sequence.
The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, randomized controlled trial.
There was no treatment effect on caloric intake. Growth hormone levels were significantly greater when patients received anamorelin compared to placebo (p = 0.005). ASAS total scores improved after three days of anamorelin (p < 0.002). Among individual symptom items, patients reported improved appetite (2.67 points with anamorelin and 0.5 points with placebo, p = 0.011). FACIT-F scores improved after anamorelin compared to placebo (p = 0.018).
Anamorelin was shown to have some positive effects on patients’ symptoms in this small pilot study. Further research is needed to evaluate efficacy.
The study had a small sample size, with less than 30 participants.
This study was too small to enable any conclusions about the efficacy and safety of anamorelin. Further research with a larger sample is needed.