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| Drug class | NK1 receptor antagonists, antiemetics |
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| Bioavailability | >60% (estimated) |
| Protein binding | >99% |
| Metabolism | mainly CYP3A4; also CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 |
| Elimination half-life | 88 hours |
| Excretion | 71% (faeces) |
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| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C30H32F6N4O |
| Molar mass | 578.603 g·mol−1 |
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Netupitant is an antiemetic medication. In the United States, the combinations of netupitant/palonosetron and the prodrug fosnetupitant/palonosetron (both brand name Akynzeo) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, including highly emetogenic chemotherapy such as with cisplatin. [1] [2] In the European Union, the combinations are approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the same indication. [3] [4]
Side effects of the combination netupitant/palonosetron are similar to palonosetron alone, so that no common side effects can be attributed to netupitant. [3] [1]
Netupitant blood plasma levels are expected to increase when combined with inhibitors of the liver enzyme CYP3A4 and lowered when combined with inductors of this enzyme. [3]
Being a CYP3A4 inhibitor itself, netupitant could also increase plasma levels of pharmaceuticals that are metabolized by CYP3A4. This effect has been observed with dexamethasone, the anti-cancer drugs docetaxel and etoposide, and to a minor (not clinically significant) extent with levonorgestrel, erythromycin and midazolam. [3] The clinical relevance of the anti-cancer drug interactions has been questioned. [5]
Netupitant is a selective NK1 receptor antagonist. [6]
Netupitant is a selective neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonist with potential antiemetic activity. Netupitant competitively binds to and blocks the activity of the human substance P/NK1 receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), thereby inhibiting NK1-receptor binding of the endogenous tachykinin neuropeptide substance P (SP), which may result in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). SP is found in neurons of vagal afferent fibers innervating the brain-stem nucleus tractus solitarii and the area postrema, which contains the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ), and may be elevated in response to chemotherapy. The NK-receptor is a G-protein receptor coupled to the inositol phosphate signal-transduction pathway and is found in both the nucleus tractus solitarii and the area postrema. [7]
Bioavailability is estimated to be over 60% for orally taken netupitant. Highest blood plasma concentrations are reached five hours after application. Availability is moderately (10–20%) increased when taken after a fatty meal. Netupitant and its main metabolites (called M1 and M3) are bound to plasma proteins to more than 99%, and M2 protein binding is 97%. [3]
The substance is mainly metabolized by CYP3A4, and to a lesser extent by CYP2D6 and CYP2C9. The main metabolites are desmethyl-netupitant (M1), netupitant N-oxide (M2), and hydroxy-netupitant (M3); all three are pharmacologically active. [3] [8]
Netupitant and its metabolites are mainly excreted via the faeces. [3] Biological half-life is 88 hours, significantly longer than that of the first NK1 receptor antagonist, aprepitant, which has a half-life of 9 to 13 hours. [9]