Methods and compositions for treatment of muscle wasting, muscle weakness, and/or cachexia

A method of treating a condition selected from the group consisting of muscle wasting, muscle weakness, cachexia, and a combination thereof in an individual that has muscle wasting, muscle weakness, or cachexia, comprising the step of administering to the individual an effective amount of one or more compounds that inhibit binding of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT)3 to a ligand, said compounds selected from the group consisting of N-(1′,2-dihydroxy-1,2′-binaphthalen-4′-yl)-4-methoxybenzenesulfonamide, N-(3,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, N-(4,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, N-(5,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, N-(6,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, N-(7,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, N-(8,1′-Dihydroxy-[1,2]binaphthalenyl-4′-yl)-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonamide, 4-Bromo-N-(1,6′-dihydroxy-[2,2]binaphthalenyl-4-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, 4-Bromo-N-[-4-hydroxy-3-(1H-[1,2,4] triazol-3-ylsulfanyl)-naphthalen-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide, and a functional derivative thereof or a salt thereof, wherein the condition selected from the group consisting of muscle wasting, muscle weakness, cachexia, and a combination thereof is the result of an underlying medical condition selected from the group consisting of chronic kidney disease, diabetes, renal failure, AIDS, HIV infection, chronic obstructive lung disease, multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, tuberculosis, familial amyloid polyneuropathy, acrodynia, hormonal deficiency, metabolic acidosis, infectious disease, chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune disorder, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, electrolyte imbalance, Addison's disease, sepsis, burns, trauma, fever, long bone fracture, hyperthyroidism, prolonged steroid therapy, surgery, bone marrow transplant, atypical pneumonia, brucellosis, endocarditis, Hepatitis B, lung abscess, mastocytosis, paraneoplastic syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, visceral leishmaniasis, prolonged bed rest, drug addiction, and a combination thereof.