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Article: New drug helps allergies, profits With Claritin patent up, ads tout Clarinex, but is it any better?
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- April 15, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2002 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Just in time for the spring allergy season, the new drug Clarinex
is coming on the market with an advertising blitz--but no proof it
works better than older allergy drugs.
"Billions of seasonal allergies, one tiny blue pill," proclaim ads
from manufacturer Schering-Plough Corp.
Schering-Plough makes Claritin, the nation's best-selling
prescription allergy drug. In November, the Food and Drug
Administration is expected to switch Claritin to over-the-counter. A
month's supply, which now costs about $80, could drop to about $16,
according to pharmacist Robert Seidman of WellPoint Health Networks.
Moreover, Schering-Plough's Claritin patent is expected to expire
in December, enabling competitors ...