To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: AAAAI MEETING: Accolate Helps Curb Cat Allergy Symptoms In Asthmatic Patients URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/E9AEE.htm Doctor's Guide March 1, 1999
ORLANDO, FL -- March 1, 1999 -- A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) demonstrates that treatment with Zeneca Pharmaceuticals' Accolate(R) (zafirlukast) Tablets may allow asthmatics who are allergic to cats to reduce their asthma symptoms and maintain their airway function when they are exposed to cat allergen. "This study demonstrates that Accolate, a first-line treatment already well-proven to help control asthma, may be helpful for people who are allergic to cats," said Sheldon Spector, MD, clinical professor of medicine, UCLA, and president of the California Society of Allergy and Immunology. Clinical investigators conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial to investigate the effect of Accolate 20-mg twice daily on pulmonary function and asthma symptoms following exposure to cat allergen. After receiving Accolate or placebo for seven days, 18 asthmatic patients (18-49 years old) who tested positively for cat allergen were placed in a room containing two cats. Their breathing and asthma symptoms were then assessed. Lung function, measured by FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in one second), decreased 25 percent during treatment with placebo, but only 15 percent during treatment with Accolate. This represented a significant reduction in the asthmatic response to cat allergen during therapy with Accolate. Significant differences between Accolate and placebo were not achieved for upper airway symptoms or nasal cellular responses. Accolate was well tolerated and the adverse event profile was not clinically different from placebo treatment. The most common adverse event was pharyngitis, which occurred in 16 percent of the placebo treated and no subjects receiving Accolate. There are many people whose breathing is adversely affected by pets and cat allergen is among the most common pet allergies in North America. A recent Canadian study examined questionnaire responses from 2,999 randomly selected adults (ages 20-44) from Vancouver. The 34 percent who were currently pet owners had a higher prevalence of asthma, asthma-like symptoms and bronchitic symptoms than those without pets. In addition, cat owners had a significantly higher risk of having current asthma and asthma-like symptoms than those without pets. Furthermore, a subset of patients who underwent skin prick and other testing and were found to be allergic to cat dander had a greater risk of current asthma than those not allergic to cat dander. "With the help of Accolate, people who have previously had trouble breathing because of allergic reactions to cat dander may be able to breathe easier when around cats," Spector said. Accolate therapy is an oral controller agent available by prescription only. Accolate, taken twice daily, even during symptom-free periods, either one hour before or two hours after meals. The drug should not be used to reverse a sudden asthma attack. Accolate tablets are generally well tolerated by most patients. Patients should consult with their doctors before changing their current asthma medications, if they are prescribed a blood thinner, if they are nursing, or if their medical condition worsens. Side effects include headache, infection and nausea. In clinical trials, the incidence of these side effects was not significantly different from placebo. Related Links: Accolate, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.