ligandrol
Associate Professor Nial Wheate from the School of Pharmacy comments on the history of Ligandrol, how it works and news this week about the drug.
History of Ligandrol
Ligandrol, which is also known by the development codes LGD-4033 and VK5211 and the name Anabolicum, was initially developed by the company Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the United States. It was patented in 2009.
The results of the first human clinical trial were published in 2013, where taking Ligandrol was found to increase muscle mass without also putting on fat.
The drug rights have since been licensed to the company Viking Therapeutics. In 2018, it completed a clinical trial which examined Ligandrol for people aged over 65 who were recovering from a hip fracture. The results showed patients who took Ligandrol significantly increased their muscle mass and could walk further than patients not on the drug.
The drug has also been examined for other conditions, including as a possible treatment for cancer-related weight loss, enlarged prostates, for patients who have a diminished function of testes and ovaries, and as a potential cure for breast cancer.
Ligandrol is still considered an experimental drug, and as such, is not approved for sale by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).