Safety and efficacy of loratadine (Sch-29851): a new non-sedating antihistamine in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Loratadine, a new antihistamine in the non-sedating class, was evaluated for efficacy and safety in treatment of allergic rhinitis in a multicentered study. Loratadine was found to be both safe and efficacious. When administered to patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, a single daily oral dose of 10 mg is comparable in efficacy to clemastine, 1 mg, given twice daily. The incidence of sedation with loratadine is comparable to placebo and significantly lower than with clemastine. The incidence of anticholinergic side effects with loratadine is low and in this study was comparable to placebo and clemastine.