The Nature of the Drug: GlaxoSmithKline developed and marketed Zofran (Ordanstan Hydrochloride) as a treatment for nausea caused by chemotherapy or by drugs taken after surgery. Zofran blocks serotonin, a neurotransmitter that antidepressant drugs act on but that is also associated with upset stomach and vomiting. The latter problem occurs because the 5-HT3 receptor can overreact to serotonin, causing the digestive distress associated with many drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zofran to help cancer patients suppress nausea after chemotherapy or surgery. GlaxoSmithKline, however, has promoted the drug to treat women’s morning sickness, though the FDA never approved it for that purpose.
