Photo Credit: Liudmila Chernetska
The following is a summary of “Ponsegromab for the Treatment of Cancer Cachexia,” published in the September 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Groarke et al.
Cachexia, a common cancer complication, increases death risk and is marked by high levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a circulating cytokine.
Researchers conducted a prospective study testing ponsegromab, a monoclonal antibody blocking GDF-15, and analyzed if it improves weight, appetite, and activity in patients with cachexia cancer.
They included patients with cachexia cancer who had high GDF-15 levels. The patients were randomly assigned to receive ponsegromab (100 mg, 200 mg, or 400 mg) or a placebo, given subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. The main focus was weight change, appetite, symptoms, physical activity, and safety.
The results showed that out of 187 randomized patients, 40% had non-small cell lung cancer, 32% had pancreatic cancer, and 29% had colorectal cancer. After 12 weeks, patients on ponsegromab gained more weight than those on placebo: 1.22 kg in the 100-mg group, 1.92 kg in the 200-mg group, and 2.81 kg in the 400-mg group. The 400-mg group also showed better appetite, reduced cachexia symptoms, and increased physical activity. Adverse events occurred in 70% of patients on ponsegromab and 80% on placebo.
Investigators concluded that blocking GDF-15 with ponsegromab led to more weight gain, improved activity levels, and fewer cachexia symptoms in patients with cancer, supporting the idea that GDF-15 drives cachexia.
Source: nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2409515
