Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Common Allergy Medication Reduces Relapses in Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica

by Anjali Aryamvally on February 3, 2018 at 3:35 PM
Common Allergy Medication Reduces Relapses in Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica

Bottom Line: The addition of cetirizine, a popular allergy medication sold under the brand name Zyrtec, to standard therapy is safe, well-tolerated, and may reduce relapses in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), shows new study. NMO is a rare but severe disease that causes inflammation and demyelination, primarily in the optic nerve, spinal cord, and brainstem.

Results: The primary endpoint was the annualized relapse rate (ARR) while on the same disease-modifying therapy before starting cetirizine compared with after taking cetirizine. The ARR before cetirizine was 0.4±0.80 and after cetirizine was 0.1±0.24 (p=0.047).

Advertisement


Why the Research Is Interesting: Current standard treatments for NMO have focused on lymphocytes; however, granulocyte infiltration has been shown to play an important role in NMO-related inflammatory destruction. In addition to its antihistaminic functions, cetirizine is known to have eosinophil-stabilizing properties. Cetirizine also has a myriad of effects on other immune system components, including inhibition of lymphocyte and monocyte chemotaxis. Animal model work demonstrated that the development of NMOSD-type lesions could be blocked with the administration of cetirizine, so it was exciting to see if it might be safe and effective for human NMO patients.

Who: This pilot, open-label, add-on trial of cetirizine followed 16 NMO patients taking 10mg/day of orally administered cetirizine for one year.
Advertisement

When: Participants were enrolled/followed from April 2014- February 2016.

What: The study measured the ARR of patients prior to starting cetirizine compared with after taking cetirizine.

How: Participants started cetirizine 10mg orally daily and continued for one year, in addition to their established NMOSD disease-modifying therapy. They were monitored for new neurologic episodes and potential adverse events related to the study drug. Formal relapse assessments as well as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were completed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Study Conclusions: Cetirizine is safe, well-tolerated, and may help prevent relapses in NMO. The open-label design and small sample size in this trial preclude definitive conclusions; however, these results warrant further study. Cetirizine given chronically may be able to prevent the activation and chemotaxis of eosinophils and other inflammatory cells, should the beginning of a relapse cascade occur; however, a larger sample size with more frequent specimen collection would be required to determine this definitively.

Paper Title: Open-label, add-on trial of cetirizine for neuromyelitis optica

Said Mount Sinai's Dr. Ilana Katz Sand of the research:

"We were pleased to find that cetirizine was safe and well-tolerated in our population of NMO patients. While the study's open-label design and small sample size preclude definitive conclusions, we did detect a signal that suggested cetirizine may be of benefit. We look forward to future research on this topic."



Source: Eurekalert
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Drug News

Prolonging Market Exclusivity of Brand-name Insulin
Examining FDA and patent records, researchers found that insulin manufacturers prolong market exclusivity for brand-name products.
FDA Boosts Orphan Drug Designations for Myelofibrosis Treatments
The rise in FDA ODD awards indicates a collective endeavor to create new myelofibrosis medications devoid of mechanisms inducing anemia.
Anti-Rheumatic Drugs May Help Prevent Thyroid Disease
The most significant decrease in autoimmune thyroid disease risk was observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving immunomodulatory drugs or 'biological DMARDs'.
Apotransferrin's Potential in Early Stroke Therapy Revealed
Human apotransferrin injected to mice models suffering from intracerebral hemorrhage was found to mitigate the serious effects of stroke.
Anti-cancer Drug Navitoclax Help Treat Lower Back Pain
The reduction of these senescent osteoclasts, possibly through the utilization of current medications, could present a novel approach in managing lower back pain.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Common Allergy Medication Reduces Relapses in Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests