Acacia’s PONV drug under US review

US regulators have accepted for review Cambridge, UK-based Acacia Pharma’s application for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) drug Baremsis. PONV is a common complication of surgery that is not only distressing to patients but also increases healthcare costs, as it can have a detrimental impact on surgical outcomes and significantly impede the post-operative recovery process. In untreated patients, the incidence of vomiting is around 30 percent, while that of nausea is around 50 percent. Surgical patients at moderate or high risk of PONV are given prophylactic antiemetics prior to surgery, with standard-of-care based upon 5HT3 antagonists and corticosteroids, but up to 40 percent still develop the condition and thus need further treatment with a different class of antiemetic.