It was patented in 1982 and approved for medical use in 1992.[2] Tropisetron is a therapeutic alternative on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[3] It is sold by Novartis in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as Navoban, but is not available in the US. It is also available from Novell Pharmaceutical Laboratories and sold in several Asian countries as Setrovel.
Tropisetron have been shown to sensitise human α7-nicotinic receptors to low concentrations of acetylcholine, indicative of a possible co-agonist or other modulatory action of tropisetron at these receptors.[6]
Tropisetron is a well-tolerated drug with few side effects. Headache, constipation, and dizziness are the most commonly reported side effects associated with its use.[7][8][9]Hypotension, transient liver enzyme elevation, immune hypersensitivity syndromes and extrapyramidal side effects have also been associated with its use on at least one occasion.[7] There have been no significant drug interactions reported with this drug's use. It is broken down by the hepatic cytochrome P450 system and it has little effect on the metabolism of other drugs broken down by this system.[10]
^Müller W, Stratz T (2004). "Local treatment of tendinopathies and myofascial pain syndromes with the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron". Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. Supplement. 119 (119): 44–48. doi:10.1080/03009740410007032. PMID15515413. S2CID24916914.
^World Health Organization (2025). The selection and use of essential medicines, 2025: WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 24th list. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/382243.
^Macor JE, Gurley D, Lanthorn T, Loch J, Mack RA, Mullen G, et al. (February 2001). "The 5-HT3 antagonist tropisetron (ICS 205-930) is a potent and selective alpha7 nicotinic receptor partial agonist". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 11 (3): 319–321. doi:10.1016/S0960-894X(00)00670-3. PMID11212100.
^Cui R, Suemaru K, Li B, Kohnomi S, Araki H (May 2009). "Tropisetron attenuates naloxone-induced place aversion in single-dose morphine-treated rats: role of alpha7 nicotinic receptors". European Journal of Pharmacology. 609 (1–3): 74–77. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2008.12.051. PMID19374878.
^Callahan PM, Bertrand D, Bertrand S, Plagenhoef MR, Terry AV (May 2017). "Tropisetron sensitizes α7 containing nicotinic receptors to low levels of acetylcholine in vitro and improves memory-related task performance in young and aged animals". Neuropharmacology. 117: 422–433. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.02.025. PMID28259598. S2CID9400277.
^ abGoodin S, Cunningham R (2002). "5-HT(3)-receptor antagonists for the treatment of nausea and vomiting: a reappraisal of their side-effect profile". The Oncologist. 7 (5): 424–436. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.7-5-424. ISSN1083-7159. PMID12401905.
^Abali H, Celik I (2007). "Tropisetron, ondansetron, and granisetron for control of chemotherapy-induced emesis in Turkish cancer patients: a comparison of efficacy, side-effect profile, and cost". Cancer Investigation. 25 (3): 135–139. doi:10.1080/07357900701208709. ISSN0735-7907. PMID17530482.
^Kovac AL (December 2016). "Comparative Pharmacology and Guide to the Use of the Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting". Drugs. 76 (18): 1719–1735. doi:10.1007/s40265-016-0663-3. ISSN1179-1950. PMID27988869.
^Kaiser R, Sezer O, Papies A, Bauer S, Schelenz C, Tremblay PB, et al. (2002-06-15). "Patient-tailored antiemetic treatment with 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonists according to cytochrome P-450 2D6 genotypes". Journal of Clinical Oncology: Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 20 (12): 2805–2811. doi:10.1200/JCO.2002.09.064. ISSN0732-183X. PMID12065557.