FDA approves anti-nausea patch for chemo patients

WASHINGTON - Cancer patients will soon be able to use a medication patch to ease the debilitating nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy.


The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it has approved the first anti-nausea patch for chemotherapy patients, intended to provide relief for up to five days. The patch, called Sancuso, is worn on the arm and delivers a widely used anti-nausea medicine, known as granisetron, through the skin. It is expected to be available by the end of the year.
"The main benefit will be for people who have difficulty taking oral medications," Rogers said. But other patients could also benefit, she added, since a single patch is designed to maintain a steady level of the anti-nausea medicine in the body for several days.
Sancuso's main side effect is constipation. In some cases the drug can mask a bowel obstruction, which is a dangerous condition requiring prompt treatment.