CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE PHARMACOLOGICAL PROFILE OF TILARIN

The pharmacological activity of nedocromil sodium is extensive and the compound should affect a variety of inflammatory processes by prevent ing activation of the involved cells or blocking release of their medi ators. Some in vitro actions of nedocromil sodium are particularly rel evant to the mechanisms of allergic rhinitis, and the response of the nasal epithelium to pollutants such as ozone. The effects of nedocromi l sodium on mucosal mast cells, eosinophils, sensory nerves and nasal epithelial cells can each be linked to its potential clinical effectiv eness by our own biopsy studies from patients with active allergic rhi nitis. Nedocromil sodium has been shown to modulate production of a nu mber of powerful cytokines, such as GM-CSF and TNF alpha, which are pr oduced by the human nasal epithelium, as well as by involved inflammat ory cells and lymphocytes, and which orchestrate the inflammatory resp onse to allergen or to pollutant provocation. So, in addition to inhib iting activated mast cells and eosinophils. nedocromil sodium acts on the nasal epithelium itself to prevent further accumulation of these c ells and thus to break the inflammatory chain of events. On this evide nce of its preclinical activity, nedocromil sodium promises to become a very useful topical treatment for allergic rhinitis.