Novartis Researchers Discover New SARM Drug For Muscle Wasting

Researchers at multinational drug producer Novartis have discovered a new transdermal SARM drug for treating muscle wasting caused by cancer. SARMs stimulate muscle growth without the adverse side effects of anabolic steroids. Muscle wasting caused by cancer particularly affects the elderly. Novartis’s new SARM drug candidate, AUSRM-057, was designed in hopes of treating patients suffering from muscle wasting.

Novartis researchers designed AUSRM-057 for transdermal administration because SARM drugs administered orally have shown adverse effects on liver function and HDL levels. These hurdles were overcome by transdermal administration, in which the drugs were released directly into a patient’s skin.

Dr. Hans-Joerg Keller, the senior investigator of AUSRM-057’s trial at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Switzerland, said, “AUSRM-057 is the first SARM with excellent skin permeation properties which may exploit the full therapeutic potential of SARMs.”

Novartis first tested the drug for skin permeation and muscle building in cell cultures and then moved to animal trials using rats. The researchers stated that the drug worked as hoped in rats, building muscle without harming the prostate gland. It also did not have any adverse effects on liver function or HDL levels.

The project has currently been put on hold, as Novartis has stated the company is currently focused on “portfolio prioritization.” The next step for Novartis is to begin testing the drug in human based clinical trials. There are currently no human based clinical trials scheduled. If the results are positive in human based trials, it is expected that Novartis will apply to the FDA for a new drug application.

Results from the preclinical drug discovery project were presented at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society in Chicago on Tuesday.