J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL Abstracts S27VOLUME 113, NUMBER 2

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12 Treatment With Desloratadine Improves Quality of Life and Symp-tom Scores, Including Nasal Congestion, in Patients With Sea-sonal Allergic Rhinitis

A. Pradalier1, C. Neukirch2, M. Aubier2, F. Saint-Martin3, I. Dreyfus4;1Hôpital Louis Mourier, Colombes, FRANCE, 2Hôpital Bichat, Paris,FRANCE, 3Villebon-sur-Yvette, FRANCE, 4Schering-Plough, LevalloisPerret, FRANCE.RATIONALE: Desloratadine (DL) has been shown to improve seasonalallergic rhinitis (SAR) symptoms, including nasal congestion. We studiedwhether improved SAR symptoms with DL were accompanied by betterquality of life (QOL) scores.METHODS: Patients ≥18 years with SAR for ≥2 years (skin-prick test-positive) were randomized to receive DL 5mg or placebo QD for 15 days.Patients recorded symptom scores AM/PM using a 4-point scale (0=none-3=severe). Individual symptoms were summed for total nasal symptoms(TNS), total non-nasal symptoms (TNNS) and total SAR symptoms (TSS)scores. Eligible patients had baseline scores for TNNS ≥2, TSS ≥8 andnasal congestion ≥2. Patients/investigators jointly rated the globalresponse to treatment on day 14. At baseline and day 14 the rhinocon-junctivitis QOL questionnaire (RQLQ) was used to measure the physical,practical and emotional impacts of SAR. Adverse events were recordedand rated in relation to treatment.RESULTS: The DL (n=234) and placebo (n=249) groups were balancedat baseline. Significantly greater decreases from baseline in nasal conges-tion (P=0.03), TNS (P=0.0003), TNNS (P=0.0003) and TSS (P≤0.0001)scores occurred with DL versus placebo. On day 1, TNS (P=0.008),TNNS (P=0.0001) and TSS (P=0.0008) scores were significantlyimproved with DL versus placebo. The global response to treatment wassignificantly better for DL versus placebo (P≤0.0001). DL significantlyimproved overall (P≤0.0001) and domain (nose symptoms, eye symp-toms, activity limitation, sleep problems, practical problems, emotionalfunction) (P≤0.04) RQLQ scores versus placebo. DL and placebo had asimilar adverse event rate.CONCLUSIONS: DL significantly improved QOL and symptom scores,including nasal congestion, in patients with SAR.Funding: Schering-Plough