Comparative clinical efficacy, onset and duration of action of levocetirizine and desloratadine for symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in subjects evaluated in the Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU)

• Published in: International journal of clinical practice (Esher) Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 109 - 118
• Main Authors: Day, J.H., Briscoe, M.P., Rafeiro, E., Ratz, J.D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK; Malden, USA Blackwell Science Ltd 01.02.2004; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergic rhinitis; antihistamine; Biological and medical sciences; Cetirizine - therapeutic use; clinical trial; Cohort Studies; comparison; desloratadine; Double-Blind Method; EEU; efficacy; Female; General aspects; hay fever; Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating - therapeutic use; Humans; levocetirizine; Loratadine - analogs & derivatives; Loratadine - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; nasal congestion; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Piperazines - therapeutic use; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal - drug therapy; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Nose disease; Rhinitis; Exposure; Epidemiology; Antihistaminic; Desloratadine; Medicine; Symptomatology; Seasonal variation; ENT disease; Environment; Antagonist; H1 Histamine receptor; Levocetirizine; Comparative study; Duration of action
• ISSN: 1368-5031; 1742-1241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1368-5031.2004.0117.x

Summary The Environmental Exposure Unit, an indoor pollen challenge system to test anti‐allergic medications, was used to compare the onset and duration of action and the efficacy of levocetirizine and desloratadine, two recently developed H1‐antagonists. In this double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group study, qualified subjects were randomised to once‐daily levocetirizine 5 mg (n = 141), desloratadine 5 mg (n = 140) or placebo (n = 92) and exposed to ragweed pollen on two consecutive days (7 h and 6 h). Symptoms were self‐rated every 30 min. On both days, levocetirizine produced a greater improvement in the major symptom complex score (primary efficacy variable) than desloratadine (p = 0.015); both were better than placebo (p < 0.001). Levocetirizine acted earlier (1 h vs. 3 h) and produced greater symptom relief at 24 h than desloratadine (p = 0.003). Levocetirizine also alleviated nasal obstruction better than desloratadine (p = 0.007) on day 1; and better than placebo (p = 0.014) after the second dose on day 2, which was not observed with desloratadine. Levocetirizine and desloratadine were safe and well tolerated.