Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data
Drug Category
- Antiemetics
- Serotonin Antagonists
Dosage Forms
- Intravenous injection
- Tablet
Brands / Synonyms
Anzemet; Anzemet Injection; Dolasetronum [Inn-Latin]; Dolasteron
Indications
For the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with moderately-emetogenic cancer chemotherapy, including initial and repeat courses and prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting
Pharmacology
Dolasetron is an antinauseant and antiemetic agent indicated for the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with moderately-emetogenic cancer chemotherapy and for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Dolasetron is a highly specific and selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, not shown to have activity at other known serotonin receptors and with low affinity for dopamine receptors.
Mechanism of Action
Dolasetron is a selective serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. The serotonin 5-HT3 receptors are located on the nerve terminals of the vagus in the periphery and centrally in the chemoreceptor trigger zone of the area postrema. It is thought that chemotherapeutic agents produce nausea and vomiting by releasing serotonin from the enterochromaffin cells of the small intestine, and that the released serotonin then activates 5-HT3 receptors located on vagal efferents to initiate the vomiting reflex. Therefore Dolasetron works by blocking the reception of serotonin at these 5-HT3 receptors.
Absorption
Orally-administered dolasetron is well absorbed
Toxicity
Not Available
Biotrnasformation / Drug Metabolism
Hepatic
Contraindications
ANZEMET Tablets are contraindicated in patients known to have hypersensitivity to the drug.
Drug Interactions
The potential for clinically significant drug-drug interactions posed by dolasetron and hydrodolasetron appears to be low for drugs commonly used in chemotherapy or surgery, because hydrodolasetron is eliminated by multiple routes. Blood levels of hydrodolasetron increased 24% when dolasetron was coadministered with cimetidine (nonselective inhibitor of cytochrome P-450) for 7 days, and decreased 28% with coadministration of rifampin (potent inducer of cytochrome P-450) for 7 days.
Dolasetron has been safely coadministered with drugs used in chemotherapy and surgery. As with other agents which prolong ECG intervals, caution should be exercised in patients taking drugs which prolong ECG intervals, particularly QTc.
In patients taking furosemide, nifedipine, diltiazem, ACE inhibitors, verapamil, glyburide, propranolol, and various chemotherapy agents, no effect was shown on the clearance of hydrodolasetron. Clearance of hydrodolasetron decreased by about 27% when dolasetron mesylate was administered intravenously concomitantly with atenolol. Dolasetron does not influence anesthesia recovery time in patients. Dolasetron mesylate did not inhibit the antitumor activity of four chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide) in four murine models.
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