Once daily levocetirizine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria

Review

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Authors: E Nettis, G F Calogiuri, E Di Leo, F Cardinale, L Macchia, et al

Published Date December 2008 Volume 2009:2 Pages 17 - 23

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JAA.S3022

E Nettis¹, G F Calogiuri², E Di Leo¹, F Cardinale³, L Macchia¹, A Ferrannini¹, A Vacca^1,4

¹Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases; ²4th Pneumology Department, Pneumologic Hospital A Galateo, San Cesario di Lecce, Italy; ³Department of Biomedicina dell’Età Evolutiva, Pediatrics Unit “S Maggiore”; ⁴Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy

Abstract: Levocetirizine is the pharmacologically active enantiomer of cetirizine. It is a potent histamine H-1 receptor antagonist with anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. The review analyses the levocetirizine’s properties in terms of safety and efficacy both in allergic rhinitis and urticarioid syndromes.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis, chronic idiopatic urticaria, levocetirizine