A New Hope for Motion Sickness Sufferers

A Breakthrough in Motion Sickness Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nereus, a new drug designed to combat motion sickness. This marks the first new treatment for this condition in over 40 years. The drug, also known as tradipitant, works by blocking a specific brain receptor responsible for triggering nausea and vomiting.

How Motion Sickness Occurs

Motion sickness happens when the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes, inner ear, and body sensors. It commonly affects people during activities like boating, driving, or flying.

Clinical Trials and Efficacy

The FDA's approval was based on two large studies involving 681 patients. The results showed that tradipitant significantly reduced vomiting, making it a promising option for those suffering from motion sickness.

Market Potential and Availability

Vanda Pharmaceuticals, the company behind Nereus, plans to launch the drug in the coming months. Analysts predict that sales of tradipitant for motion sickness alone could reach over $100 million annually in the U.S. at its peak.

Other Treatment Options

While Nereus is the first new drug in this category in decades, other treatments for motion sickness include:

• Scopolamine patch
• Bonine
• Dramamine

Challenges in Approval

The path to approval was not without hurdles. The FDA initially placed a partial clinical hold on tradipitant in 2018, requiring additional toxicity studies in dogs. However, in December 2023, the agency lifted this hold, reclassifying motion sickness as an acute condition and dropping the study requirement.

Future Applications

Vanda Pharmaceuticals licensed tradipitant from Eli Lilly in 2012 and has been testing it for various uses, including:

• Motion sickness
• Gastroparesis
• Nausea caused by certain diabetes drugs

The company has not yet disclosed the pricing for Nereus.