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Cinnarizine: A Contemporary Review

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cinnarizine, is approved for nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, inner ear disorders and is considered as first-line pharmacotherapy for management of vertigo. It acts by anti-vasoconstrictor activity, reducing blood viscosity and reducing nystagmus in labyrinth. Lack of adequate literature on clinical evidence of cinnarizine and its combination (dimenhydrinate) in vertigo management prompted this review. A specific MEDLINE literature search strategy was designed combining Medical Subject Headings, free-text keywords (like cinnarizine and vertigo) using Boolean operators (1970–2016) for clinical studies, clinical reviews and meta-analyses of cinnarizine. Analyses of studies validated cinnarizine’s efficacy in peripheral and central vertigo versus placebo or other therapies, and was well-tolerated by the patients recruited across different studies. Cinnarizine and/ or its combinations are favorable in management of vestibular disorders wherein cinnarizine acts predominantly peripherally on labyrinth and dimenhydrinate acts centrally on vestibular nuclei and associated centers in brainstem. Combination therapy of cinnarizine and/ or its combinations demonstrated a better safety profile than either of the mono-components, offering a viable therapeutic option in vertigo management.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Sonia Philipose (SIRO Clinpharm Pvt. Ltd.) provided editorial support for this manuscript. This work was supported by funding from Janssen India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Milind Vasant Kirtane

  2. Vertigo and Ear Clinic, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Anita Bhandari

  3. Medical Affairs Department, Janssen India, Arena Space, Behind Majas Depot, Off JVLR, Jogeshwari East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400060, India

    Prashant Narang & Ravi Santani

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  1. Milind Vasant Kirtane
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Correspondence to Ravi Santani.

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Dr. Ravi Santani and Dr. Prashant Narang are employees and/or shareholders of Janssen, India. All authors contributed to the data interpretation and development of the review. All authors met ICMJE criteria and all those who fulfilled those criteria are listed as authors. All authors had access to the study data, provided direction and comments on the manuscript, made the final decision about where to publish these data and approved submission to the journal.

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Kirtane, M.V., Bhandari, A., Narang, P. et al. Cinnarizine: A Contemporary Review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 71 (Suppl 2), 1060–1068 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-017-1120-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-017-1120-7

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