AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
Allergy Drugs May Go over Counter; Firms Say Medicines Need More Testing.
Byline: Charles Ornstein
May 12--GAITHERSBURG, Md.--The Food and Drug Administration should move allergy drugs Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec to over-the-counter status, the FDA's influential medical advisers concluded Friday despite vehement objections by the drugs' makers.
While not bound by the recommendations, the federal agency routinely accepts the guidance of its outside medical experts. If the FDA does follow their advice, the pharmaceutical companies are sure to challenge the decision in court, industry analysts and legal experts said. That could delay any final action for years.
The nation's 40 million allergy sufferers would gain easier access to the nonsedating allergy drugs if they were sold over the counter. The catch: Consumers would then have to pick up the full cost. A 30-day supply of any of the drugs now costs as much as $80.
The request to reclassify the popular drugs is unprecedented because a third party filed it, not the pharmaceutical manufacturers.
In its petition, WellPoint Health Networks Inc.…
- Ugly wait at the counter; Insurer pushes to make allergy drugs...
- Magazine article from: Modern Healthcare Benko, Laura B. August 6, 2001 700+ words
...the makers of Claritin and Allegra boast that their allergy drugs' side effects are comparable...Aventis Pharmaceutical's Allegra and Pfizer's Zyrtec available...experts decided that each of the allergy drugs meets the three criteria for...
- Switch to OTC for allergy drugs favored by FDA committee.(Claritin, Allegra,...
- Magazine article from: Drug Store News June 25, 2001 700+ words
The FDA's Nonprescription Drugs and Pulmonary and Allergy Drugs Advisory Committees recommended over-the-counter...Schering-Plough's Claritin (loratadine), Aventis' Allegra (fexofenadine HCl) and Pfizer's Zyrtec (cetirizine...
- ALLERGY DRUGS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?(evaluation of Claritin, Zyrtec, and...
- Newspaper article from: HealthFacts Napoli, Maryann June 1, 2001 700+ words
...of 5- or 10-milligrams once a day. Allegra may be the best choice in terms of safety...company advertising. This is because Allegra will not make you sleepy even at higher...60 for a month's supply, the cost of Allegra is midway between that of Claritin and...
- FDA advisers recommend changing prescription allergy drugs to over-the-counter...
- News wire article from: Dallas Morning News May 11, 2001 700+ words
...Drug Administration should move allergy drugs Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec to over-the-counter...easier access to the nonsedating allergy drugs if they were sold over the counter...Inc., described Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec as safer than over...
- FDA advisers recommend changing prescription allergy drugs to over-the-counter...
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Ornstein, Charles May 11, 2001 700+ words
...Drug Administration should move allergy drugs Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec to over-the-counter...easier access to the nonsedating allergy drugs if they were sold over the counter...Inc., described Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec as safer than over...
- FDA Asked to Reclassify Popular Allergy Drugs.
- News wire article from: Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) May 11, 2001 700+ words
...switch three popular anti-allergy drugs, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, from prescription...first generation of anti-allergy drugs, antihistamines such as Benadryl...countries where Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are sold over the...
- FDA asked to make allergy drugs available without prescriptions.(Chicago...
- News wire article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Neikirk, William May 10, 2001 700+ words
...switch three popular anti-allergy drugs, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, from prescription...first generation of anti-allergy drugs, antihistamines such as Benadryl...countries where Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are sold over the...
- FDA asked to make allergy drugs available without prescriptions.
- News wire article from: Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) May 10, 2001 700+ words
...switch three popular anti-allergy drugs, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, from prescription...first generation of anti-allergy drugs, antihistamines such as Benadryl...countries where Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are sold over the...
- Fight looms on allergy drugs' OTC switch.(Brief Article)
- Magazine article from: Medical Marketing & Media Dickinson, James G. July 1, 2001 700+ words
...recommendation in May that three popular prescription allergy drugs, Aventis' Allegra (fexofenadine HCI), Schering's Claritin...s joint Nonprescription Drugs and Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee also recommended to the agency...
- Blue Cross asking FDA to take allergy drugs over the counter.
- Magazine article from: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal MAY, TROY May 11, 2001 700+ words
...Food and Drug Administration to allow popular allergy drugs such as Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec to be sold without a prescription...Mr. Seidman will try to prove that the allergy drugs are safe enough to be sold without a prescription...
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA
The AccessMyLibrary advertising network includes:
