About the antiemetic effectivity of granisetron in chemotherapy-induced acute emesis: a comparison of results with intravenous and oral dosing.

The paper is devoted to review literature data on intravenous and oral antiemetic effectivity of granisetron (GRAN) a selective 5HT3 antagonist and to determine the optimal dose for the prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced acute emesis. The drug was put on the market in the injectable form in 1994 and in the oral form in 1995, so a sufficient number of reports have been published for the evaluation. According to the summarized data on 6095 patients treated with intravenous GRAN, on average 66% antiemetic complete response (CR) rate was reached (i.e. no vomiting in the first 24 hours of chemotherapy). Best results were observed with the dose of 40 microg/kg intravenous GRAN, on average 70% CR (range 47-93%) were achieved in 4182 of the 6095 patients with this dose. In 942 patients treated with the mostly applied oral dose of GRAN (1 mg twice daily), on average 61% CR (range 52-82%) were reported. Side effects were weak and transient, mostly headache and constipation were observed. Headache appeared in 13% with the use of 40 microg/kg intravenous dose GRAN and in 18% with 1 mg oral dose twice daily Constipation was observed in 5.3% and 17% with the injection and oral dose, respectively.