R.M. Naclerio

News and commentaries. Requirements for medications commonly used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis - European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA)

It has been shown that several medications are effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (1–3). Among them, oral H1-antihistamines and intra-nasal corticosteroids are the most widely used. A large number of studies have been carried out with these drugs but they use various end points which make these studies difficult to be compared. Moreover, the pharmacological properties of these drugs are well known but recently, new data have focussed on the mechanisms of action of H1-antihistamines and their so-called antiallergic properties. Guidelines for the development of drugs used in allergic rhinitis are pending. It seemed therefore important before proposing recommendations for such guidelines to define the properties of oral H1-antihistamines, anti-allergic effects of H1-antihistamines and intra-nasal corticosteroids. There is therefore an urgent need to make internationally valid definitions. These will be of importance for physicians and scientists but also for drug companies developing new drugs and registration authorities.