Low-dose olanzapine and generic antiemetic bundles in every guideline and formulary
A cheap, old antipsychotic at a low dose is one of the best anti-sickness drugs for chemotherapy. Make sure every cancer unit in the world uses it.
Olanzapine 5 to 10 mg reduces chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in randomised trials, including with highly emetogenic regimens, at a cost of pennies. Uptake is uneven, and in many low-income settings even standard 5-HT3 antagonists and dexamethasone are inconsistently available. The proposal is a global implementation programme: inclusion of olanzapine-based bundles in national essential medicines lists and guidelines, pre-printed order sets, and audit of complete response rates as a quality indicator.
- Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued · Trials measure how long people live, not how they live. Side-effects are under-reported and under-treated.
- Most of the world has almost no cancer care · Seven in ten cancer deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries, where radiotherapy, pathology, surgery and drugs are scarce.
- No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs · Old, cheap drugs with anti-cancer signals never get the trials they need because no one profits from the result.
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not linked directly; found by shared links- IdeaA strategic reserve of essential generic cancer drugs to end recurring shortages
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.
- IdeaValidate low-cost metronomic oral regimens in phase 3 and carry them into guidelines
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.
- IdeaA platform trial of very-low-cost metronomic chemotherapy in LMIC common cancers
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.
- IdeaA cheap old tablet to restore appetite
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.
- TrialLow-dose olanzapine for cancer anorexia (Tata Memorial)
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.
- TechnologyCachexia pharmacotherapy: GDF-15 blockade, anamorelin, olanzapine
Shares No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs, Most of the world has almost no cancer care.