Helsinn, the Swiss Group focused on building quality cancer care, announced today that on May 27, 2015, the European Commission (EC) approved Akynzeo (netupitant-palonosetron) for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cisplatin‑based cancer chemotherapy and moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy in the European Union.

The decision followed the positive opinion adopted by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on March 26, 2015 and is applicable to all 28 European Union member countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Akynzeo is a new oral fixed dose combination of a highly-selective NK1 receptor antagonist, and palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

CINV is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Its management has been refined over the past several decades, but despite the existence of effective treatments and clear antiemetic guidelines, many patients still suffer from CINV, particularly during the delayed phase after chemotherapy. Studies show that patients often receive antiemetic drug regimens that are inconsistent with CINV treatment guidelines, which call for multiple-pathway targeted antiemetic prophylaxis.

For more details, go to: http://www.helsinn.com/news/the-european-commission-approves-helsinns-akynzeo-netupitantpalonosetron-for-the-prevention-of-chemotherapy-induced-nausea-and-vomiting-cinv-in-the-european-union/