EFFICACY OF MEQUITAZINE IN COMPARISON WITH PLACEBO ASSESSED BY OCULARCHALLENGE WITH ALLERGEN IN ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS

Pharmacologic intervention in the management of allergic conjunctiviti s was evaluated with different topical ocular agents in man. Their eff ect can be precisely assessed with the conjunctival provocation test ( CPT). A potent specific H-1-receptor antagonist, 0.05% mequitazine eye -drops, was tested in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled s tudy using CPT with grass pollen allergens. Twenty healthy subjects al lergic to grass pollen were included outside the pollen season after a positive CPT screening. They received one drop of 0.05% mequitazine i n one eye and the vehicle in the contralateral eye in a random order, four times daily for 5 days. CPT was performed 15 min after the last i nstillation, and the threshold dose inducing a positive reaction was d etermined. Results were given by Abelson's composite score including r edness, chemosis, tearing, and itching. Topical 0.05% mequitazine sign ificantly reduced the composite scare compared to placebo. The allerge n threshold concentration which induced the positive conjunctival reac tion was higher in mequitazine pretreated eyes. No side-effect was rep orted. These data clearly suggest that mequitazine has potential to tr eat allergic conjunctivitis.