Anti-nausea medications

Antiemetics and pharmacogenetics

Also known as: Anti-nausea medications

4 medications 4 brand products CYP2D6

Why pharmacogenetics matter for antiemetics

Antiemetics prevent nausea and vomiting in contexts like chemotherapy, post-operative recovery, and migraine. The clinically relevant pharmacogenetic signal in this class is CYP2D6 for ondansetron and its relatives.^[1] CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers clear ondansetron too quickly to get full benefit and are more likely to have breakthrough chemotherapy-induced nausea. Metoclopramide also involves CYP2D6.^[2]

For chemotherapy-induced nausea specifically, an ondansetron failure in a CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizer is a recognized clinical pattern, and switching to granisetron or palonosetron (less CYP2D6-dependent) is a common response.

Key gene in this class

CYP2D6

Cytochrome P450 2D6

CYP2D6 is the most clinically important pharmacogene. It metabolizes around a quarter of all prescription drugs, including many antidepressants, opioids, and stimulants. The gene is unusually variable: roughly 7 percent …

Medications in this class with pharmacogenetic guidelines

Each link goes to the drug's full pharmacogenetics page with CPIC and FDA phenotype recommendations.

Dronabinol CYP2C9 Metoclopramide CYP2D6 Ondansetron CYP2D6 Tropisetron CYP2D6

Brand products in the Anti-nausea medications class

Combined products and brand names for the medications above. Each links to a pharmacogenetic breakdown.

References

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Table of Pharmacogenomic Biomarkers in Drug Labeling (2024). fda.gov
PharmGKB / Stanford University. PharmGKB: The Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base. pharmgkb.org

Which anti-nausea medications is right for your genetics?

This page covers the pharmacogenetics of antiemetics in general. A Gene2Rx report tells you how your personal genotype interacts with every drug on this page.

Get your report Look up a medication

Informational only, not medical advice. Pharmacogenetic guidelines describe population-level patterns that inform prescribing decisions. Never start, stop, or change a medication without talking to your prescribing clinician.