To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - EAACI: Claritin Brings Faster Relief Than Allegra For Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/11206A.htm Doctor's Guide July 12, 1999
By Cameron Johnston Special to DG News BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -- July 12, 1999 -- The results of a study presented at a major international conference on allergies show that Schering-Plough's selective peripheral H1 antihistamine Claritin (loratadine) works faster than another popular antihistamine - Hoechst Marion Roussel's Allegra (fexofenadine hydrochloride) at resolving the annoying symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. A second study indicates that people suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis who do not respond to fexofenadine have a better response to loratadine and that loratadine is less likely to fail in the first place. Both studies were presented at the 18th annual meeting of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, which wrapped up last week in Brussels. "SAR is not a trivial disease. It should be treated and it should be taken seriously," said Dr. Harold Kaiser, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, in Minneapolis, and principal author of one of the studies. "Quality-of-life studies have shown that in many domains, seasonal allergic rhinitis has a more significant impact on quality of life than asthma, which is a more vicious disease in many ways." Symptoms of the condition include runny nose, watery eyes, sinus congestion, sneezing, itchy ears and throat, and red, puffy eyes. These symptoms can be a mild nuisance for some people, but for others, they can be totally debilitating. Severe symptoms can lead to lost time from work or school and can seriously impair social functioning. A double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 836 SAR sufferers who took 10 mg of loratadine once daily, or 60 mg of fexofenadine twice daily showed a significant difference in the onset of action with loratadine compared with both fexofenadine and placebo. The beneficial effect of loratadine was seen as early 12 hours after the first dose of the drug, whereas fexofenadine took almost three days to have the same effect on symptoms, Dr. Kaiser said. After the third day, efficacy of both drugs was equal and both were better than placebo, he added. In a second study, two groups of SAR sufferers were randomised to receive either loratadine or fexofenadine for a period of two weeks. Those patients who did not respond to the initial treatment were then given the other drug for a further two-week phase. Symptom severity and treatment results were rated by both the patients and their personal physicians. Dr. Bruce Prenner, a San Diego based allergist and medical investigator, said that 35.5 percent of the patients who did not respond to the initial therapy and then crossed over from fexofenadine to loratadine showed a complete or marked improvement, whereas only 24.8 percent of those who crossed over from loratadine to fexofenadine had a complete or marked improvement -- a statistically significant difference. A further significant finding, Dr. Prenner said, was that more than twice as many patients failed the initial treatment with fexofenadine than with loratadine -- 21.7 percent versus 10.6 percent. "What I want as a clinician is to have a product that I know will have a high success rate initially, but will also have the lowest failure rate," Dr. Prenner said. "I think the use of antihistamines should be predicated on using them regularly, not irregularly. Just using antihistamines sporadically is not appropriate." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.