New Research Study Testing An Investigational Medication For Nausea And Vomiting Following Chemotherapy (NAPS)—Although chemotherapy is often used as an essential part of cancer treatment, it can be an unpleasant experience for many people. Two commonside effects that can make chemotherapy more difficult are nausea and vomiting. As manyas eight in 10 people will have at least some nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, according to the American CancerSociety. Fortunately, there are treatments that have been designed to help reduce the risk of these unpleasantside effects. A newclinical study, currently open for enrollment, will study an investigational medication that may help prevent nausea and vomiting from occurring during chemotherapy. The study is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the therapy, which is known as intravenous MK0517 (fosaprepi- tant dimeglumine). Adults who are scheduled to receive their first course of cisplatin chemotherapy to treat a solid-tumor cancer may be eligible to participate in the study. The study medication is administered before the start of chemotherapy. Experiencing nausea and vomitingin thefirst cycle of chemotherapy may cause someone to be more likely to experience nausea again in future cycles. “It’s important for people preparing to undergo chemotherapy to realize that there are treatment options that may help prevent the effects of nausea and vomiting,” said Dr. R. Timothy Webb, M.D., FACP. Some people may be more likely to experience nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy than others. These include women, people younger than 50 years old and people who have experienced nausea, vomiting, motion sickness or morning sick- ness in the past. There are now treatmentsthat have been designedto help reduce the risk of unpleasantside effects for people undergoing chemotherapy. In the study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups where each participant will receive study medication designed to prevent the nausea and vomiting associated with cisplatin chemotherapy. Participants in Arm 1 will receive a single 150 mg IV dose of investigational MK0517 plus a three-day dosing regimen of an oral placebo (an inactive substance). Participants in Arm 2 will receive a three-day dosing regimen of oral aprepitant plus a single IV dose of placebo. The study is being conducted at sites in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. People interested in taking part in the study are encouraged to speak with their physician. People inter- ested in learning more about this study should call the toll-free number(888) 577-8839 or visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov and use keyword NCT00619359.
