Clinical randomized controlled trials of levocetirizine in treatment of 72 patients with anaphylactic rhinitis

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of levocetirizine and cetirizine in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis. METHODS: One hundred and forty-four patients between 18-65 a were randomly divided into treatment group and control group in a multi-center,double-blind,randomized active-controlled trial. Seventy-two patients in treatment group were treated with levocetirizine tablets(5 mg,po,qd),72 patients in control group were treated with cetirizine tablets(10 mg,po,qd),all together for 14 d. RESULTS: Seventy patients of the either two groups were completed with the trial.The total clinical effective rates were 89 % and 83 % for the treatment group after 7 d and 14 d,and those of the control group were (94 %) and 93 %, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the symptom integral lowering index (P0.05). No severe adverse reactions occurred both in treatment group and control group.The incidence of adverse reaction rates 11 % were for levocetirizine and (18 %) in cetirizine. The oscitancy rate of treatment group was 6 %,and 11 % for control group.There was no clinical diversification correlatively. CONCLUSION: Levocetirizine is effective and safe in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis, nearly similar to cetirizine.