The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vanda Pharmaceuticals' drug for the prevention of motion sickness, marking the first new treatment for the condition in more than 40 years. The drug, called Nereus (also known as tradipitant), is expected to hit the market in the coming months.
The approval was based on two late-stage clinical studies involving 681 patients, which showed the drug significantly reduced vomiting. It works by blocking a receptor in the brain that is linked to nausea and vomiting, caused by erratic signals between the eyes, inner ear and body during car, plane or boat travel.
Analysts estimate that sales of tradipitant in the U.S. alone could exceed $100 million a year. The FDA had previously placed a partial moratorium on the drug, but lifted it in December, classifying motion sickness as an acute condition.
