Emend Dosage

Generic name: aprepitant 80mg
Dosage form: capsule, powder for oral suspension
Drug class: NK1 receptor antagonists

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 1, 2023.

Recommended Dosage

Adults and Pediatric Patients 12 Years of Age and Older

The recommended oral dosage of EMEND capsules, dexamethasone, and a 5-HT3 antagonist in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who can swallow oral capsules, for the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with administration of HEC or MEC is shown in Table 1 or Table 2, respectively. For patients who cannot swallow oral capsules, EMEND for oral suspension can be used instead of EMEND capsules as shown in Table 3.

Table 1: Recommended Dosing for the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting Associated with HEC
	Population	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4
* Administer EMEND capsules 1 hour prior to chemotherapy treatment on Days 1, 2, and 3. If no chemotherapy is given on Days 2 and 3, administer EMEND capsules in the morning. † Administer dexamethasone 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy treatment on Day 1 and in the morning on Days 2 through 4. A 50% dosage reduction of dexamethasone is recommended to account for a drug interaction with EMEND [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
EMEND capsules*	Adults and Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	125 mg orally	80 mg orally	80 mg orally	none
Dexamethasone	Adults	12 mg orally	8 mg orally	8 mg orally	8 mg orally
Dexamethasone	Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	If a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, is co-administered, administer 50% of the recommended corticosteroid dose on Days 1 through 4 [see Clinical Studies (14.3)].†
5-HT3 antagonist	Adults and Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	See selected 5-HT3 antagonist prescribing information for the recommended dosage	none	none	none

Table 2: Recommended Dosing for the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting Associated with MEC
	Population	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
* Administer EMEND capsules 1 hour prior to chemotherapy treatment on Days 1, 2, and 3. If no chemotherapy is given on Days 2 and 3, administer EMEND capsules in the morning. † Administer dexamethasone 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy treatment on Day 1. A 50% dosage reduction of dexamethasone is recommended to account for a drug interaction with EMEND [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
EMEND capsules*	Adults and Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	125 mg orally	80 mg orally	80 mg orally
Dexamethasone	Adults	12 mg orally	none	none
Dexamethasone	Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	If a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, is co-administered, administer 50% of the recommended corticosteroid dose on Days 1 through 4 [see Clinical Studies (14.3)].†
5-HT3 antagonist	Adults and Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older	See the selected 5-HT3 antagonist prescribing information for recommended dosage	none	none

Pediatric Patients 6 Months to less than 12 Years of Age or Pediatric and Adult Patients Unable to Swallow Capsules

The recommended dose of EMEND for oral suspension to be administered with a 5-HT3 antagonist, with or without a corticosteroid, for the prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with administration of HEC or MEC is specified in Table 3. Dosing of EMEND for oral suspension is based on weight, to a maximum of 125 mg on Day 1 and 80 mg on Days 2 and 3. Dosing in pediatric patients less than 6 kg is not recommended.

Table 3: Recommended Dosing in Pediatric Patients 6 Months to Less than 12 Years of Age or Pediatric and Adult Patients Unable to Swallow Capsules
	Population	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4
* After preparation, the final concentration of EMEND for oral suspension is 25 mg/mL [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)]. Administer EMEND for oral suspension 1 hour prior to chemotherapy treatment on Days 1, 2, and 3. If no chemotherapy is given on Days 2 and 3, administer EMEND for oral suspension in the morning. † Administer dexamethasone 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy treatment on Day 1. A 50% dosage reduction of dexamethasone is recommended to account for a drug interaction with EMEND [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
EMEND for oral suspension*	Pediatric Patients 6 Months to Less than12 Years or Pediatric and Adult Patients Unable to Swallow Capsules	3 mg/kg orally Maximum dose 125 mg	2 mg/kg orally Maximum dose 80 mg	2 mg/kg orally Maximum dose 80 mg	none
Dexamethasone	Adults Unable to Swallow Capsules	See Table 1 or 2	See Table 1 or 2	See Table 1 or 2	See Table 1 or 2
Dexamethasone	Pediatric Patients 6 Months to Less than12 Years or Pediatric Patients Unable to Swallow Capsules	If a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, is co-administered, administer 50% of the recommended corticosteroid dose on Days 1 through 4 [see Clinical Studies (14.3)].†
5-HT3 antagonist	Pediatric Patients 6 Months to Less than12 Years or Pediatric and Adult Patients Unable to Swallow Capsules	See selected 5-HT3 antagonist prescribing information for the recommended dosage	none	none	none

Preparation Instructions for EMEND for Oral Suspension -- for Healthcare Providers

EMEND for oral suspension should be prepared by a healthcare provider. Once prepared, it may be administered either by a healthcare provider, patient, or caregiver.

Before preparing EMEND:

Do not open the pouch of EMEND until ready to prepare the medicine.
Store the pouch at room temperature [between 68°F-77°F (20°C-25°C)].

Table 4: Instructions for Healthcare Providers on How to Prepare EMEND for Oral Suspension
EMEND for oral suspension is packaged as a kit with one 1 mL oral dosing dispenser, one 5 mL oral dosing dispenser, one cap and one mixing cup.
1. Fill the mixing cup with room temperature drinking water.
2. Fill the 5 mL oral dosing dispenser with 4.6 mL of water from the mixing cup. Make sure no air is in the dispenser - if air is present, remove.
3. Discard all the unused water remaining in the mixing cup.
4. Add the 4.6 mL of water from the dispenser back into the mixing cup.
5. Each pouch of EMEND for oral suspension contains 125 mg of aprepitant which is to be suspended in 4.6 mL of water giving a final concentration of 25 mg/mL. Hold the EMEND for oral suspension pouch upright and shake the contents to the bottom before opening the pouch. 6. Pour the entire contents of the pouch into the 4.6 mL of water in the mixing cup and snap the lid shut.
7. Mix the EMEND suspension gently by swirling 20 times; then gently invert the mixing cup 5 times. To prevent foaming, do not shake the mixing cup. The mixture will be cloudy pink to light pink.
8. Check the EMEND mixture for any clumps or foaming: If any clumps are present, repeat Step 7 until there are no clumps. If there is any foam, wait for the foam to disappear before going on to Step 9.
9. Fill the dispenser with the prescribed dose shown above in Table 3. Choose the dispenser based on dose: Use 1 mL dispenser if dose is 1 mL or less. Use 5 mL dispenser if dose is more than 1 mL. Fill the dispenser with the prescribed dose from the cup. If the dose is less than 1 mL round to the nearest 0.1 mL. If the dose is more than 1 mL round to the nearest 0.2 mL. It is common to have medicine leftover in the cup.
Make sure no air is in the dispenser - if air is present, remove. Make sure the dispenser contains the prescribed dose.
10. Place the cap on the dispenser until it clicks. 11. If the dose is not administered immediately after measuring, store filled oral dosing dispenser(s) in the refrigerator [between 36°F-46°F (2°C-8°C)] for up to 72 hours prior to use. When dispensing dose(s) to the patient or caregiver, instruct them to refrigerate the oral dosing dispenser(s) until they are ready to administer the dose. 12. When ready to use, the mixture can be kept at room temperature [between 68°F-77°F (20°C-25°C)] for up to 3 hours.
13. Discard the mixing cup along with any remaining suspension.

Administration Instructions

EMEND capsules and EMEND for oral suspension can be administered with or without food.

EMEND capsules

Swallow capsules whole.

EMEND for oral suspension

The dose will be prepared by the healthcare provider and dispensed to the patient or caregiver in an oral dispenser.
Keep the dispenser in the refrigerator until administered to the patient. The dose can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 hours before use.
When ready to use, take the cap off the dispenser, place the dispenser in the patient's mouth along the inner cheek on either the right or left side. Slowly dispense the medicine.
The dose must be used within 72 hours of preparation.
Discard any doses remaining after 72 hours.