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Prospect for Pharmacological Therapies to Treat Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction

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Abstract

Skeletal muscle weakness is a leading cause of mobility disability in the elderly (sarcopenia), as a complication of acute or chronic illness (cachexia), and due to inherited or acquired muscle diseases (muscular dystrophies, myositides, etc.). As of now, there are no approved drugs that can reliably increase muscle strength and function. However, with our understanding of the regulation of myocyte signaling and homeostasis evolving rapidly, experimental treatments are now entering the clinic. We review the current status of clinical research in pharmacological therapies for muscle disorders.

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Conflict of Interest

Ronenn Roubenoff and Matthew N. Meriggioli are employees of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, which conducts research and development of treatments for muscle wasting.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Department of Musculoskeletal Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, 220 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Matthew N. Meriggioli & Ronenn Roubenoff

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  1. Matthew N. Meriggioli
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Correspondence to Ronenn Roubenoff.

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Meriggioli, M.N., Roubenoff, R. Prospect for Pharmacological Therapies to Treat Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction. Calcif Tissue Int 96, 234–242 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-014-9926-8

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