Article: New antihistamine approved for long-term application

A newly approved prescription antihistamine has reached the market. Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is approved for long-term use against allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria in adults and children over the age of 12 (for more on cetirizine, see page 68). It is also approved for use against chronic idiopathic urticaria-hives that cannot be attributed to a specific allergenic cause.

Other prescription antihistamines are not approved for long-term use, said Linda B. Ford, M.D., an allergist and immunologist in Omaha, Neb., and clinical instructor of pediatrics at the University of Nebraska.

The new drug, an oral H, receptor antagonist, will be competing against several other oral antihistamines, among ...

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