Broadening Antiemetics Research by Comparing the Effectiveness of Fosaprepitant and Metoclopramide

Summary

The study team proposes a double-blind, comparative effectiveness, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to address the following goal: to determine the relative efficacy and adverse event profile of fosaprepitant compared to the standard of care antiemetic metoclopramide. Fosaprepitant and its active metabolite aprepitant are a relatively new class of antiemetic that exclusively acts in the central nervous system by blocking neurokinin (NK-1) which is a key signaling molecule in the centrally mediated aspects of the vomiting reflex. Currently, fosaprepitant and aprepitant both have only two United Stated Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved indications for nausea and vomiting: chemotherapy-induced and postoperative. Neurokinin inhibitors are highly effective and generally well-tolerated. Therefore, this class of medication may be a more appropriate medication for the millions of patients with nausea and vomiting that seek care in emergency departments (EDs). Intravenous fosaprepitant is converted to the active metabolite aprepitant on the order of minutes and is significantly cheaper to procure at this time.

Timeline

Start

2026-12

Primary completion

2027-09

Completion

2027-09

Publications

• Background Mechanisms and Control of Emesis: A Satellite Symposium of the European Neuroscience Association: Proceedings of an International Meeting Held in Marseille (France), 4-7 September 1992. John Libbey Eurotext
• Background Singh P, Yoon SS, Kuo B. Nausea: a review of pathophysiology and therapeutics. Ther Adv Gastroenterol. 2016 Jan;9(1):98-112. doi: 10.1177/1756283X15618131.
• Background Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2006 Feb-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52651/
• Background Pourmand A, Mazer-Amirshahi M, Chistov S, Sabha Y, Vukomanovic D, Almulhim M. Emergency department approach to QTc prolongation. Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Dec;35(12):1928-1933. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.08.044. Epub 2017 Aug 24.
• Background Franklin BJ, Vakili S, Huckman RS, Hosein S, Falk N, Cheng K, Murray M, Harris S, Morris CA, Goralnick E. The Inpatient Discharge Lounge as a Potential Mechanism to Mitigate Emergency Department Boarding and Crowding. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Jun;75(6):704-714. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.12.002. Epub 2020 Jan 23.
• Background Aapro M, Carides A, Rapoport BL, Schmoll HJ, Zhang L, Warr D. Aprepitant and fosaprepitant: a 10-year review of efficacy and safety. Oncologist. 2015 Apr;20(4):450-8. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2014-0229. Epub 2015 Mar 20.
• Background Langford P, Chrisp P. Fosaprepitant and aprepitant: an update of the evidence for their place in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Core Evid. 2010 Oct 21;5:77-90. doi: 10.2147/ce.s6012.
• Background Furyk JS, Meek RA, Egerton-Warburton D. Drugs for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in adults in the emergency department setting. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 28;2015(9):CD010106. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010106.pub2.
• Background Yang Y, Yang N, Wu L, Ouyang Q, Fang J, Li J, Liao W, Cai K, Huang J, Li J, Zhang Y, Wang X, Zhang H, Xu N, Zhao Q, Hu X, Li W, Zhong W, Zhong D, Cheng G, Ye S, Zhong M, Wang D, Liu H, Zheng J, Liu X, Xu H, Zhang L. Safety and efficacy of aprepitant as mono and combination therapy for the prevention of emetogenic chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: post-marketing surveillance in China. Chin Clin Oncol. 2020 Oct;9(5):68. doi: 10.21037/cco-20-160.
• Background Braude D, Soliz T, Crandall C, Hendey G, Andrews J, Weichenthal L. Antiemetics in the ED: a randomized controlled trial comparing 3 common agents. Am J Emerg Med. 2006 Mar;24(2):177-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2005.08.017.
• Background Cham S, Basire M, Kelly AM. Intermediate dose metoclopramide is not more effective than standard dose metoclopramide for patients who present to the emergency department with nausea and vomiting: a pilot study. Emerg Med Australas. 2004 Jun;16(3):208-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2004.00588.x.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.