MGA has been found to dose-dependently increase total and free IGF-1 levels up to a dosage of 120 mg/day. Total IGF-1 levels were described as "profoundly" increased, gradually increasing, significantly by 3 days of treatment, up to a maximum of 2.66-fold by 5 to 6 months of treatment. Free (readily dissociable) concentrations of IGF-1 were increased to a smaller extent, by 1.23–2.15-fold, and were described as increasing "moderately". It was suggested that the increase in IGF-1 levels with high-dosage MGA therapy may explain the anabolic effects of MGA in patients with cachexia.