Comparative Study of Intravenous Single Doses of Palonosetron (PALO) With Granisetron Hydrochloride as a Control in Patients Receiving Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy

This study involves prophylactic single dose of granisetron hydrochloride as a control in the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The primary objective of the study is to verify 0.75 mg palonosetron, concomitantly administered with corticosteroids, is not inferior and superior to granisetron hydrochloride in acute stages 0 - 24 hours and in delayed stages 24 - 120 hours after administration of highly emetogenic chemotherapy, respectively. Corticosteroids are commonly employed in current medical treatments with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists.

This is a multicenter, parallel, group comparative study where subjects are assigned to treatment groups in accordance with a central registration system. After obtaining written informed consent, the patients that satisfy the inclusion criteria without meeting the exclusion criteria are assigned using minimizing procedures to either a single-dose of 0.75 mg palonosetron group or a single-dose of 40 μg/kg granisetron hydrochloride with covariates of chemotherapy regimen, gender and age. A palonosetron group will receive intravenous injections of 0.75 mg palonosetron (5 mL) and then granisetron placebo before administration of highly emetogenic chemotherapy. A granisetron hydrochloride group will be treated with palonosetron placebo and then intravenous 40μg/kg granisetron hydrochloride before administration of highly emetogenic chemotherapy. The onset of nausea and emetic episodes and the time of an antiemetic procedure will be observed for 120 hours after the start of highly emetogenic chemotherapy. The objective is to find the patients' global satisfaction with the antiemetic therapy. Adverse events will also be observed for seven days after the administration of the each drug.