Aprepitant - EMEND is a drug that reduces the side effects of chemotherapy and is now widely used means to combat nausea from chemotherapy. Article updated April 11, 2011

April 11, 2011: I am cancer-current site to review. So I leave this article are as EMEND - aprepipant now widely used. If you click here you can read all about this drug . Like how it is administered and what the risks and side effects and who is and is not eligible for this drug. Below the information we already wrote in 2004.

October 31, 2004: Source: Reuters

Plea EMEND - generic name Aprepitant - may now officially registered drug given and will also be reimbursed by health insurers. Emend - Aprepipant decreases according to researchers and oncologists from Yahoo Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, the side effects of chemotherapy, in particular cisplatin. The headline in the Algemeen Dagblad suggests that the product produces a healing effect, but that is somewhat misleading. Cisplatin is a chemotherapy that is widely used and severe adverse events. Because EMEND - Aprepitant side effects as nausea and vomiting can reduce the chemotherapy patients longer. Therefore, more patients seem to benefit from this chemotherapy. But whether this also significantly more definitive cures are achieved, therefore we have no evidence to find. With cisplatin alone, we have little or no better studies find evidence that cisplatin compared with doing nothing with it proves that more people are cured. But read the following article in the Algemeen Dagblad. Then an English productomschrijvng EMEND - Aprepitant and two studies that have followed the FDA for this indication is registered worldwide as a medicine should be administered.

New drug helps thousands of cancer patients

Chemotherapy much more tolerable
By Ronald van Geenen

The lives of thousands of cancer patients in our country will soon be much more bearable thanks to a new drug that serious side effects of chemotherapy is limited.
The medicine reduces the risk of severe nausea and vomiting. These events are often so horrible that people just after the chemotherapy in the hospital. Some patients see why even on the treatment, with all its consequences.

A new study, to be presented tomorrow at a European conference for oncologists in Vienna, showed that the drug (generic name aprepitant) benefits for a much larger group of patients than previously thought. Initial investigations concentrated on the most severe form of people who must undergo chemotherapy.
According to internist-oncologist R. The Wit of the Rotterdam-Daniel den Hoed clinic - the hospital was involved in the development of the drug - the drug may be used in many treatments of patients who undergo chemotherapy. ,, Thirty hospitals, including the major cancer centers, have been purchased.''

Aprepitant has recently been officially registered as a medicine for patients who receive chemotherapy with cisplatin. This will also be reimbursed by the drug budget and is available for big groups. Cisplantine is a drastic means among other things is used for bladder, lung and ovarian cancer.
White expects his colleagues will also require new agent in patients undergoing chemotherapy reduced, for example breast cancer. ,, Doctors have a duty to give cancer patients the best therapy. The latest research shows that aprepitant the lives of thousands of chemotherapy patients is much more bearable.''Three quarters of each year tens of thousands of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, will sooner or later due to severe nausea or vomiting. Various studies show that these adverse effects in many patients to significantly reduce a three-day course of aprepitant capsules. According to De Wit is the price of the new product on the high side, but the amount is negligible compared to the total cost of chemotherapy. "The costs will certainly be no reason for cancer patients using specialists to remember.''

Here, as the drug manufacturer Merck oinder the name of EMEND - Aprepitant product name - it comes with all adverse weather etc. there. Below this schedule includes the two studies indicated that underlie the FDA approval.

Drug Name: EMEND (aprepitant) The following information is Obtained from Various newswires, published medical journal articles, and medical conference presentations.

Company: Merck
Approval Status: Approved March 2003
Treatment for: Chemotherapy-induced Nausea and Vomit

General Information
EMEND (aprepitant), a P / neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonist is an antiemetic medicine Used To Prevent and control nausea and vomit caused by chemotherapy treatment. It is always Used in combination with Other antiemetic agents.

Emend is Indicated for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomit associated with initial and repeat courses of highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy

. Emend capsules for oral administration contains 80 Eithermg or 125 mg of aprepitant.

Clinical Results
FDA approval of EMEND was based on two multicenter, randomized, parallel, double-blind, controlled clinical studies. Treatment with aprepitant was compared with standard therapy in subjects receiving a chemotherapy regimen That included cisplatin> 50 mg/m2. Results showed EMEND, in combination with ondansetron and dexamethasone, prevented acute and delayed nausea and vomit associated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy Including high-dose cisplatin.

Both in studies, a statistically significantly higher or proportioning subjects receiving aprepitant had a complete response, compared with subjects receiving standard therapy. A statistically significant difference in complete response in favor of the aprepitant regimen was Also observed. In Addition, the estimated time to first emesis after initiation of cisplatin treatment was longer with the EMEND treatment, and the incidence of first emesis was Reduced in the aprepitant regimen group compared with standard therapy group.

Were on 1000 subjects randomized to Either the aprepitant regimen or standard therapy with 95% of the subjects in the aprepitant group receiving a concomitant chemo therapeutic agent in Addition to protocol-mandated cisplatin. The must common chemo therapeutic agents Were etoposide, flourouracil, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, paclitaxel and doxorubicin. The aprepitant-treated subjects ranged from 14 to 84 years of age, with a mean age of 56 years. Were 170 subjects 65 years or older, with 29 subjects being 75 years or older.

Side Effects
Adverse events associated with the use of EMEND May include (but are not limited to) the following:
Asthenia
Dehydration
Dizziness
Diarrhea
Hiccups
Dizziness

Mechanism of Action's main ingredient EMEND, aprepitant, is a selective high-affinity antagonist of human substance P / neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors. Unlike Other chemotherapy-induced side effect treatments, it HAS little or no affinity for serotonin (5-HT3), dopamine, and corticosteroid receptors.

The drug in preclinical trials Has Been Shown to inhibit emesis induced by cytotoxic chemo therapeutic agents, Such as cisplatin, via central actions. In Addition, Animal and Human Studies Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) have Shown That it crosses the blood brain barrier and occupies brain NK1 receptors. Also it augments the activity of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron and the corticosteroid dexamethasone and inhibits Both the acute and delayed cisplatin-induced emesis or Phases.

Literature References b> Campos, D., Pereira JR, Reinhardt RR, Carracedo, C., Poli, S., Bird, C., et al (2001). Prevention of cisplatin-induced emesis by the oral neurokinin-1 antagonist, MK-869 in combination with granisetron and dexamethasone or with dexamethasone alone. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 19, 1759-1767.

Herrstedt, J., Aapro, MS, Smyth JF, & Del Favero, A. (1998). Corticosteroids, dopamine antagonists, and Other Drugs. Supportive Care in Cancer, 6, 204-214.

Martin, AR, Cai, B., Pearson, J., Horgan, K., Witt Reich, J., & Gertz, B. (2001). Patient-assessed impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea on daily life: How much is too much? [Abstract]. Oncology Nursing Forum, 28, 338.

Navari, RM, Reinhardt RR, Gralla, RJ, Kris, MG, Hesketh, PJ, Khojastem, A., et al (1999). Reduction of cisplatin-induced emesis by a selective neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist. New England Journal of Medicine, 340, 190-195.