Pharmacological management update: clinical significance of anamorelin clinical trials for the treatment of cancer cachexia in advanced cancer patients

Cancer cachexia is a debilitating and multifactorial metabolic condition that is highly prevalent among advanced cancer patients. Currently there are limited effective pharmacological treatment options for the management of cancer cachexia. In recent years, there is an increasing attention on the use of ghrelin-receptor agonists in the treatment of cancer cachexia. In this perspective, we discuss recent clinical trials that have evaluated the efficacy and safety of ghrelin-receptor agonist, anamorelin for the treatment of anorexia cancer cachexia syndrome and its potential role of anamorelin in clinical care in advanced cancer patients.