The antiemetic activity of high-dose alizapride and high-dose metoclopramide in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy: a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial.

ABSTRACT

Alizapride is a new substituted benzamide with suggested superior antiemetic efficacy to and fewer side effects than metoclopramide. High-dose alizapride (4 mg/kg X five doses) was compared with high-dose metoclopramide (2 mg/kg X five doses) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial in 62 evaluable patients undergoing strongly emetic cancer chemotherapy. Patients receiving metoclopramide experienced significantly fewer vomiting episodes than patients receiving alizapride (median of three episodes vs. eight episodes; P less than 0.001). Metoclopramide was more effective in decreasing the volume of emesis than was alizapride (median of 100 ml vs. 360 ml; P less than 0.02). Seventy-two percent of the patients receiving alizapride and 57% of those receiving metoclopramide experienced side effects. High-dose metoclopramide is an effective antiemetic in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Alizapride is less effective and has more side effects than metoclopramide. We do not recommend the further use of alizapride.