P. Odeback et al., TOPICAL LEVOCABASTINE COMPARED WITH ORAL LORATADINE FOR THE TREATMENTOF SEASONAL ALLERGIC RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS - SWEDISH-GP-ALLERGY-TEAM, Allergy, 49(8), 1994, pp. 611-615
This multicenter, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group trial was
initiated to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two antihistami
nes, topical levocabastine (eye-drops and nasal spray) and oral lorata
dine, for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in th
e primary care setting. A total of 95 adult patients participated in t
he study with a treatment duration of 5 weeks. Forty-seven patients we
re randomized to receive twice daily levocabastine eye-drops and nasal
spray plus an oral placebo, and 48 to receive once daily oral loratad
ine with placebo eye-drops and nasal spray. Naphazoline eye-drops and
xylometazoline nasal spray were permitted as rescue medication: No sta
tistically significant intergroup differences in therapeutic efficacy
were observed. Symptom severity was comparable in the two treatment gr
oups throughout the trial period. At the end of the study, 86% of levo
cabastine-treated patients considered global therapeutic efficacy to b
e excellent or good, as compared with 77% of those who received lorata
dine. This difference was not statistically significant. There were no
significant differences in the use of rescue medication or in the inc
idence or severity of adverse events in the two treatment groups. In c
onclusion, Health Care Center levocabastine eye-drops and nasal spray
appear to be as effective and well tolerated as oral loratadine for th
e treatment of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.