Effectiveness and safety of fexofenadine, a new nonsedating H1-receptor antagonist, in the treatment of fall allergies.

Fexofenadine HCl is a new, nonsedating H1-receptor antagonist approved for treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, 588 patients with fall SAR rated the severity of their symptoms using a scoring system at a screening visit and during a 3-day placebo lead-in period. Patients who did not respond to placebo and met symptom severity criteria were randomized to receive placebo or fexofenadine HCl at 40, 60, or 120 mg bid at 7:00 a.

Safety and efficacy of terfenadine/pseudoephedrine versus clemastine/phenylpropanolamine in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of terfenadine, 60 mg (immediate-release)/pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, 120 mg (controlled-release) (T/Ps) and clemastine fumarate, 1.34 mg (immediate-release)/phenylpropanolamine, 75 mg (sustained-release) (C/Ph) in a combination tablet b.i.

Double-blind comparison of cetirizine and placebo in the treatment of seasonal rhinitis.

The efficacy and safety of cetirizine were evaluated in 419 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Using a 4-way, double-blind randomization schedule, patients were given a 1-week course of once daily cetirizine (5, 10, or 20 mg) or placebo. Patient and physician efficacy ratings corresponded, indicating superiority of cetirizine to placebo (P less than .

Multicenter evaluation of triamcinolone acetonide nasal aerosol in the treatment of adult patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Triamcinolone acetonide aerosol inhalation therapy is effective for the prophylactic treatment of asthma. Recently, the delivery system for this preparation has been modified for use in allergic rhinitis. A total of 180 adult patients with symptomatic seasonal allergic rhinitis participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.

Pine nut allergy in perspective.

Anaphylaxis and other acute allergic reactions following the ingestion of pine--or pinon--nuts are documented and reviewed in perspective. Systemic allergic reactions to other relatively uncommon or "exotic" foods are also considered. Although hypersensitivity to more than one type of "nuts" is reported by some individuals, no significant cross-reactivity between any of these, or between pine pollen, pine resin, and pine nuts has been demonstrated.

A multicenter, open study of the non-sedating antihistamine, terfenadine (Seldane), in the maintenance therapy of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

A multicenter open study was conducted throughout the 1984 fall pollen season to assess the possible development of tolerance or loss of efficacy to terfenadine in the maintenance therapy of patients with seasonal pollinosis. Patients with proven allergic pollinosis were entered into a 1-week initial treatment period taking terfenadine 60 mg bid and only those who responded to the initial treatment with "moderate" to "complete" relief continued on terfenadine throughout a 4 to 11-week pollen season for evaluation of continued efficacy. A total of 179 patients from five study centers were enrolled in the initial treatment period and 154 (86%) responded to terfenadine with "moderate" to "complete" relief of symptoms.

Terfenadine treatment of fall hay fever.

A double-blind, parallel, multicenter study was undertaken in 215 ragweed skin test positive-patients with fall hay fever. The patients were randomized and treated for seven days with either 60 mg terfenadine twice daily, morning and evening, and a placebo at noon, or with 4 mg chlorpheniramine or placebo three times daily. The severity of nasopharyngeal itching, sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and itchy, watery, red eyes was ranked daily by patients and evaluated before and after treatment by the physician investigators.

Safety and efficacy of loratadine (Sch-29851): a new non-sedating antihistamine in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Loratadine, a new antihistamine in the non-sedating class, was evaluated for efficacy and safety in treatment of allergic rhinitis in a multicentered study. Loratadine was found to be both safe and efficacious. When administered to patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, a single daily oral dose of 10 mg is comparable in efficacy to clemastine, 1 mg, given twice daily.

Use of ipratropium bromide in asthma. Results of a multi-clinic study.

A multi-center, double-blind, 90-day study compared an ipratropium bromide metered-dose inhaler (40 microgram four times a day) with a metaproterenol metered-dose inhaler (1,500 micrograms four times a day) in 164 patients with asthma; of the 144 patients who completed the study, 71 received ipratropium and 73 received metaproterenol. Our results suggest that both drugs were equally effective bronchodilators. Although the shape of the pulmonary function response curves suggested that ipratropium has different bronchodilator kinetics than metaproterenol (in that it has a slower onset of action and a more prolonged duration), comparison of the areas under the curves for the two drugs showed that there was no statistical difference between ipratropium or metaproterenol.

Alternative drug therapy for asthma.

Individualized management of asthma requires consideration of single or combined pharmacologic alternatives. This article reviews experimental and clinical data on the efficacy, safety, mode of action, and therapeutic indications for cromolyn and related inhalational compounds; ketotifen; alpha-adrenergic blockers; calcium-channel blockers; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; and such diverse agents as immunosuppressive drugs, ether, alcohol, ascorbic acid, and other nutritional substances.