Science / Medicine : Nausea From Chemotherapy Eased

A new drug may reduce or prevent nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy with fewer side effects than older treatments, the manufacturer said last week. Administered intravenously, Zofran is the first of a new class of agents to be approved in the United States for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, said Glaxo Pharmaceuticals of Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The agents block serotonin, a natural chemical that constricts blood vessels, contracts smooth muscle tissue such as the stomach and is important in mental activity. “With Zofran, we can minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and may improve the quality of life for cancer patients,” said oncologist Kelly Pendergrass of Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Research has found that about 90% of chemotherapy patients suffer from nausea, Glaxo officials said. “Patients who receive Zofran have fewer (vomiting) episodes, and many receive their chemotherapy with no nausea and vomiting at all,” Pendergrass said.