Helsinn's Akynzeo approved in Europe for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting

The European Commission has approved privately-held Swiss drugmaker Helsinn's Akynzeo (netuputant-palonosetron) for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cisplatin-based cancer chemotherapy, and moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

This follows the positive opinion adopted by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in March, and applies to all 28 European Union member countries, as well as Iceland Liechtenstein and Norway.

Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, and despite treatments existing to manage it, many patients still suffer particularly during the delayed phase after chemotherapy. Akynzeo provides a combination of two antiemetics in a single oral capsule, and contains an NK1 receptor antagonist, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone.