Anamorelin Hydrochloride in Reducing Anorexia in Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To qualitatively examine experiences related to anorexia in advanced lung cancer patients with anorexia-cachexia and the impact of nine weeks of treatment of oral anamorelin hydrochloride (anamorelin) (100 mg) and placebo. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To explore changes in anorexia-cachexia (measured by the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment \[FAACT\] anorexia/cachexia subscale \[A/CS\]) in patients with advanced non-small cell cancer after 9 weeks of oral anamorelin (100 mg) or placebo. II. To explore changes in anorexia as measured by the 5-item Anorexia Symptom score (derived from the FAACT A/CS) after 9 weeks of oral anamorelin (100 mg) or placebo. III. To explore any associations between changes in anorexia with body weight, body composition (as assessed by InBody, weight scale, and L3 vertebrae compute tomography \[CT\] scan), quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Illness Therapy \[FACT-G\]), Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGIS), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), nutritional markers (pre-albumin, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3), inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein \[CRP\], monocyte IL-6\&R, TNF-a\&R, IL-10,IL-8, IL-1\&RA), and food intake after 9 weeks of oral anamorelin (100 mg) or placebo. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Patients receive anamorelin hydrochloride orally (PO) daily for 9 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unaccepted toxicity. ARM II: Patients receive placebo PO daily for 9 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unaccepted toxicity.