Granisetron: An Update on its Clinical Use in the Management of Nausea and Vomiting

Abstract

ABSTRACTchemotherapy-induced, radiation-induced, and postoperative nausea and vomiting, and also reviews its use in special patient populations. Granisetron is a potent and highly selective 5-HT 3 -receptor antagonist that has little or no affinity for other receptors, a characteristic that is thought to underlie the favorable side-effect and safety profiles of this agent. Extensive clinical trial data have shown granisetron to be an effective and well-tolerated agent for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in the oncology and surgical settings. Granisetron has also been shown to be effective and well tolerated in special populations, such as patients refractory to antiemetic treatment, patients with hepatic or renal impairment, and children. Data also suggest that its safety profile and minimal potential for drug-drug interactions would make it an antiemetic agent of choice for elderly cancer patients. The Oncologist 2004;9:673-686

Does Granisetron Eliminate the Gag Reflex? A Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

“…16 Granisetron is not cardiotoxic in dosages lower than 300 mg/kg. 16,17 The recommended dose of granisetron is 40 mg/kg. In more than 60% of patients, this dose prevents emesis for 24 hours post chemotherapy or radiation therapy.…”

“…In more than 60% of patients, this dose prevents emesis for 24 hours post chemotherapy or radiation therapy. 17 Side effects have been noted in a small percentage of patients; the most common is headache, which occurs in 15% of cases. The recommended dose of granisetron has proved safe and effective in children.…”

Tropane and Granatane Alkaloid Biosynthesis: A Systematic Analysis

“…The N-methyl group in the axial conformation is thought to be the pharmacophore for TAs [21]. Additionally, the granatane ring system provides the semisynthetic intermediate for the potent antiemetic agents Dolasteron and Granisetron, which are serotonin 5-HT 3 receptor agonists [22,23]. These compounds are used as medicines to prevent acute nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer [24].…”

Randomized Double Blind Trial to Compare the Efficacy of Granisetron And Ondansetron in Controlling Emesis in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

“…Various data from extensive clinical trial and follow-up showed that granisetron is a very effective and well tolerated agent for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in the oncology patiens 14 . There were only a few studies carried out in children addressing the prevention of chemotherapy related nausea and emesis and they had reported that despite all other improvement in treating CRNV, no standard pediatric antiemetic drug had yet been established 15 .…”