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Study investigates Anti-Frailty Pill for
Seniors
Newswise — Researchers at the University of Virginia Health
System report that a daily single oral dose
of an investigational drug, MK-677,
increased muscle mass in the arms and legs
of healthy older adults without serious side
effects, suggesting that it may prove safe
and effective in reducing age-related
frailty.
Published in the November 4, 2008 issue of Annals of
Internal Medicine, the study showed that
levels of growth hormone (GH) and of
insulin-like growth factor I (IGF- I) in
seniors who took MK-677 increased to those
found in healthy young adults.
The drug restored 20 percent of muscle mass loss associated
with normal aging.
“Our study opens the door to the possibility of developing
treatments that avert the frailty of aging,”
explains Dr. Michael O. Thorner, a
nationally recognized researcher of growth
hormone regulation and a professor of
internal medicine and neurosurgery at UVA.
“The search for anti-frailty medications has become
increasingly important because the average
American is expected to live into his or her
80s, and most seniors want to stay strong
enough to remain independent as they age.”
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the two-year,
double-blind, placebo-controlled,
modified-crossover study involved 65 men and
women ranging in age from 60 to 81.
The study drug, MK-677, mimics the action of ghrelin, a
peptide that stimulates the growth hormone
secretagogue receptor (GHSR).
Drug developers are focusing on GHSR because it plays an
important role in the regulation of growth
hormone and appetite.
They think it may prove to be an excellent treatment target
for metabolic disorders such as those
related to body weight and body composition.
According to Dr. Thorner, the UVA research was a
“proof-of-concept” study that sets the stage
for a larger and longer clinical trial to
determine whether MK-677 is effective in
people who are frail and to assess its long
term safety
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