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Amisulpride: A Review in Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting

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Abstract

Amisulpride intravenous (IV) injection (Barhemsys®; hereafter referred to as IV amisulpride), a selective dopamine receptor antagonist, is approved in the USA as a single IV infusion for the prevention and treatment of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in adults. Results from placebo-controlled phase III trials showed that IV amisulpride is efficacious both in the prevention of PONV (used either alone or in combination with an antiemetic of a different class) and in the treatment of PONV (irrespective of prior antiemetic prophylaxis status). When administered as a single IV infusion, amisulpride had a tolerability profile that was generally similar to that of placebo, with no significant safety concerns identified. Thus, IV amisulpride is a useful additional option in the prevention and treatment of PONV in adults, particularly for patients who have failed previous antiemetic prophylaxis and for whom effective treatment options may be limited.

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Acknowledgements

During the peer review process, the manufacturer of amisulpride was also offered an opportunity to review this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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  1. Springer Nature, Mairangi Bay, Private Bag 65901, Auckland, 0754, New Zealand

    Connie Kang & Matt Shirley

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  1. Connie Kang
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Correspondence to Connie Kang.

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Funding

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Authorship and Conflict of interest

Connie Kang and Matt Shirley are salaried employees of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, are responsible for the article content and declare no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to the review and are responsible for the article content.

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Additional information

The manuscript was reviewed by: C. L. Errando, Department of Anaesthesiology, Consorcio Hospital, General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; A. L. Kovac, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA; A. Zandi, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

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Kang, C., Shirley, M. Amisulpride: A Review in Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting. Drugs 81, 367–375 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-020-01462-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-020-01462-1

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