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Ocular Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms Respond to Mometasone Nasal Spray: Presented at AAAAI

By Paula Moyer

SAN DIEGO, CA -- March 5, 2007 -- Patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis who have ocular symptoms experience adequate relief when they use the intranasal corticosteroid mometasone furoate (Nasonex), according to a team of investigators who presented their findings here at the 2007 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting.

"Mometasone nasal spray had a rapid and significant effect in reducing the severity of the ocular seasonal allergic symptoms of eye redness, itching, and tearing," said principal investigator Leonard Bielory, MD, professor of medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States.

"Given the previously established efficacy of mometasone in treating the nasal symptoms," he added, "this analysis demonstrates that it is an effective and safe monotherapy for both nasal and ocular symptoms."

In a presentation on February 24^th, Dr. Bielory said the findings were the result of a re-analysis of patient-reported symptom data from clinical trials of mometasone so that they could determine its impact on ocular symptoms. Therefore, they pooled ocular symptom data from 4 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical studies that consisted of 3 2-week trials and a 4-week trial.

The studies had all compared the effectiveness of mometasone nasal spray at a dose of 200 mcg daily and placebo in controlling ocular symptoms in 983 patients who were at least 12 years old and who had at least a 2-year history of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

The investigators evaluated participants' individual sign and symptom scores for eye tearing, itching, and redness. They used a 4-point scale, with 0 equaling no symptoms and 3 being the most severe. They then calculated a total ocular symptom score (TOSS).

The average baseline TOSS was 4.35 for the treatment group and 4.5 for the placebo group. The 491 patients in the treatment group had larger decreases in their TOSS scores than did the 492 patients in the placebo group. Patients were divided into 2 groups starting on day 2, and the difference between the groups first reached statistical significance on day 3.

The average decrease in TOSS for days 1 to 15 was 19.8% for the treatment group and 5.6% for placebo (P < .001). During that time, the scores for tearing decreased by 22.2% and 3.9%, respectively (P < .001). Similarly, the scores for eye itching decreased by 17.3% and 12.3%, respectively (P = .002), while redness scores decreased by 15.7% and 8.3%, respectively (P = .002).


[Presentation title: Ocular Symptoms of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis Can Be Treated Effectively With an Inhaled Corticosteroid (Mometasone Furoate Nasal Spray). Abstract 237]

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