The Suppression Effect of the Opioid Receptor Antagonist, Naldemedine, for Opioid-induced Constipation and Nausea/vomiting

Abstract

Opioids are associated with adverse events, such as constipation, nausea/vomiting and sedation. These side effects can directly reduce the patient's quality of life. Naldemedine improved symptoms in patients with opioid-induced constipation (OIC). However, no comparison has been made for the single treatment and combined treatment of naldemedine for OIC. Also, there are no reports on whether naldemedine suppresses opioid-induced nausea/vomiting. In the present study, the suppression effect of naldemedine single treatment for OIC is the same as that for the combined treatment of naldemedine. This result suggests that single treatment of naldemedine is useful for OIC. Naldemedine suppresses opioid-induced nausea/vomiting, but there is no significant difference between naldemedine and prochlorperazine. This result suggests that naldemedine is useful for opioid-induced nausea/vomiting. Therefore, the present study suggests that naldemedine may be a new option in mitigating the side effects of opioids.