Antihistamines News and Research

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A misconception that eating wasabi decongests the nose

Wasabi, (Wasabia japonica) is commonly known as the Japanese horseradish used to enhance the enjoyment of sushi.

18 Sep 2004

A new lipid-based nasal ointment effective at reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis

One in five Americans have allergic rhinitis, a number that is steadily rising, but the exact reasons for this increase are unknown. A new lipid-based nasal ointment is found effective at reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis in German patients.

18 Sep 2004

HHS enhances Medicare drug card program to help seniors

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced new measures to help seniors get the lowest price possible for their medicines by allowing them -- for the first time -- to compare prices for similar drugs used to treat common diseases such as high cholesterol or blood pressure.

15 Sep 2004

Research could lead to ways to prevent arrhythmias

The worm C. elegans seems an unlikely candidate for studies related to cardiac arrhythmias. After all, the microscopic organism doesn't even have a heart.

20 Aug 2004

Research will lead to better treatments for mastocytosis

Tens of millions of people know what it's like to suffer the seasonal torment of allergies, when just a whiff of pollen, mold or dust can set off a chain reaction in the body that causes sniffling, sneezing and coughing.

18 Aug 2004

Scopolamine prevents and relieves motion sickness - but possibly with more adverse effects than alternatives

Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration have analysed all trials of scopolamine for motion sickness. They found 12 trials, mostly done in healthy young men in the navy.

12 Aug 2004

Michigan settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturer Schering Plough

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced today a settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturer Schering Plough over its underpayment of Medicaid Drug Rebates on the antihistamine drug Claritin, netting more than $2.6 million for Michigan’s Medicaid program.

3 Aug 2004

Schering-Ploug will return more than $9 million to the Texas Medicaid program for the company’s fraudulent reporting of prices for drug Claritin

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has announced a settlement among Texas and other states with pharmaceutical giant Schering-Plough Inc. that will return more than $9 million to the Texas Medicaid program for the company’s fraudulent reporting of prices for the antihistamine drug Claritin.

2 Aug 2004

Schering Plough to reimburse Washington's Medicaid program $3.57 million in Claritin case

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Schering Plough will reimburse Washington's Medicaid program $3.57 million in a nationwide settlement of allegations the drug maker failed to offer state Medicaid programs its best price for the popular antihistamine drug Claritin.

31 Jul 2004

Research into hay fever and temperature of the nose rises helps determine how reliable and effective anti-allergic agents are

In an attack of hay fever, the temperature of the nose rises. Effective medication prevents this too. An infrared camera provides non-contact images of the changes. Researchers can use these images to determine how reliable and effective anti-allergic agents are.

8 Jul 2004

Most over-the-counter cough medications are no better than non-medicated syrup

A Penn State College of Medicine study has shown that many over-the-counter cough medicines are no better than non-medicated syrup for nighttime cough and sleep quality in children with upper respiratory tract infections.

6 Jul 2004

62 percent of frequent antihistamine users did not test positive for allergies

A new study in the current issue of Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy concludes that 62 percent of frequent antihistamine users did not test positive for allergies.

28 Jun 2004

Higher generic drug use in 2003 slowed the rising cost per prescription to a 7.9% increase

Generic drug use increased to a record 48% among Express Scripts' 50 million members during 2003, spurred by the use of several prominent new generics, fluoxetine, omeprazole and lisinopril.

9 Jun 2004

Microbes in your gut could be cause of allergies

Allergies making your life miserable? Tired of popping antihistamines like candy? Can't go anywhere without your inhaler? The real problem may not be your stuffed-up head. It could be the microbes in your gut.

1 Jun 2004

Antibiotics could be the cause of many allergies

27 May 2004

Brain cells containing the chemical histamine are critical for waking

A study by scientists with the Veterans Affairs' Neurobiology Research Laboratory and UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute shows that brain cells containing the chemical histamine are critical for waking.

27 May 2004

Increases in co-payments may reduce the use of medications

Significant increases in co-payments may reduce the use of medications and raise concern about adverse health consequences, according to a study published in the May 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

22 May 2004

New practice guidelines for treating fluid in the ears

Most toddlers and preschoolers will be diagnosed with fluid in their middle ears--or otitis media with effusion (OME)--at some time before school age.

3 May 2004

Desensitization Useful for Allergy to Life-Saving Drug

When patients with life-threatening bacterial infections are allergic to antibiotics, drug desensitization may be an option when no other alternative exists according to a report published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

21 Apr 2004

FDA approves new chewable formulation of Zyrtec® aimed at young allergy sufferers

Pfizer Inc and UCB Pharma today announced the approval of a new chewable formulation of Zyrtec® (cetirizine HCl) for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages) and chronic idiopathic urticaria (itching and hives of unknown causes) in children aged two years and older. The approval by the US Food and Drug Administration makes Zyrtec the first and only prescription antihistamine available in both syrup and chewable form.

22 Mar 2004