A pharmaceutical composition for treating cachexia, and in particular for treating cancer cachexia. The composition contains a lanostane compound as a potent component. A suitable source of the lanostane compound is aPoriaextract from metabolite, sclerotium, or fermentation product ofPoria cocos(Schw) Wolf. ThePoriaextract contains 1-60% of the lanostane compounds by weight of the extract, and is devoid of secolanostane.一種用於治療惡病質,尤其是癌症引起的惡病質,之醫藥組合物,其包含羊毛固醇化合物作為有效成分。此羊毛固醇化合物的一合適來源為茯苓萃取物,其包含1-60重量%的羊毛固醇類化合物且實質上不含開環羊毛固醇類化合物。該萃取物係萃取自多孔菌科植物茯苓菌(Porea cocos(Schw)Wolf)之代謝產物或醱酵產物或茯苓菌菌絲。
