In this article, Pfizer announced that its experimental drug for cancer cachexia, a condition that causes cancer patients to lose appetite and weight, showed positive results in a midstage trial. Patients who took Pfizer’s treatment experienced improvements in body weight, muscle mass, quality of life, and physical function. The drug, a monoclonal antibody named ponsegromab, could potentially become the first approved treatment in the U.S. specifically for cancer cachexia. Cancer cachexia affects around 9 million people globally, with 80% of patients expected to die within a year of diagnosis.
Individuals with cancer cachexia do not consume enough food to meet their body’s energy requirements, resulting in significant fat and muscle loss, weakness, fatigue, and difficulty performing daily activities. The condition is currently defined as a 5% or more body weight loss over six months in cancer patients, accompanied by symptoms like fatigue. The symptoms of cancer cachexia can reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatments and contribute to lower survival rates.
Pfizer envisions ponsegromab as addressing the unmet need in cachexia treatment, potentially enhancing patients’ wellness, self-care abilities, and treatment tolerance. The company has not disclosed the drug’s estimated revenue potential, as it could be approved for various applications. The data was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology 2024 Congress and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
In a phase two trial involving 187 individuals with non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, or colorectal cancer and high levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), patients who received the highest dose of ponsegromab saw a 5.6% increase in weight compared to the placebo group. Pfizer is discussing late-stage development plans with regulators and intends to commence studies in 2025 for approval filing. The drug is also being studied in heart failure patients who may experience cachexia. Pfizer’s drug works by reducing GDF-15 levels to enhance appetite and facilitate weight maintenance and gain.
