Analysis of Anamorelin still showing no effect after 20 days of use

Many patients find that their appetite or weight does not change significantly after taking Anamorelin for about 20 days, which leads to the question of "whether it is ineffective." Judging from overseas clinical experience, this situation is not uncommon, and it does not necessarily mean that the drug itself is ineffective, but is often related to a variety of factors.

First of all, the effects of anamorelin are not immediate, and the process of improving cachexia is usually gradual. Especially in patients with heavy disease burden and high inflammation levels, it is difficult to reverse long-term weight and muscle wasting in the short term simply by stimulating appetite. Therefore, the time point of 20 days may still be in the "physiological adaptation period" for some patients, which is not enough to reflect the real effect.

Secondly, individual differences have a very obvious impact on the efficacy. The patient's basic nutritional status, tumor type, concomitant treatment options, and the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms will all affect the actual performance of anamorelin. If the patient also suffers from severe nausea, pain, or infection, even if the appetite signal is activated, the actual food intake may be difficult to increase, thereby weakening the effect of the drug.

Furthermore, anamorelin is not the "single answer" for cachexia. Overseas consensus emphasizes that its efficacy is often based on comprehensive intervention, including reasonable nutritional support, symptom control, and coordination of overall treatment strategies. If you only use anamorelin alone without simultaneously improving the underlying problems, it will be difficult to see significant changes in the short term, which is also a common situation.

Therefore, when no obvious effect is seen after 20 days of use, it is more reasonable to review the overall treatment environment instead of simply judging whether the drug is "useful". Evaluating whether to extend the observation time and adjust the intervention plan under the guidance of a doctor is often more valuable than blindly stopping or changing drugs.

Reference materials:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4677053/