Allergy Drug Allegra Cleared for Kids

Sanofi-aventis said Wednesday it has been approved for U.S. sales of allergy drug Allegra in children as young as 2 years of age.

The drug giant said the Food and Drug Administration has cleared its top-selling allergy medicine to treat symptoms associated with seasonal allergies in pediatric patients ages 2 to 11 years old and for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) in children 6 months to 11 years old.

Until now, parents had few seasonal antihistamine treatment options that were not associated with cognitively impairing adverse side effects, said Eli Meltzer of the Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center in San Diego.

However, with Allegra Oral Suspension, which does not cause sedation at any dose and is well-established for its antihistamine activity, a medication is now available in a good tasting, easy-to-swallow formulation that can help reduce the seasonal allergy symptoms of children, he said.

Symptoms of seasonal allergies include nasal drainage, sneezing, watery eyes and itchy nose, eyes and throat, while CIU is a rare disorder marked by hives lasting more than six weeks from an unknown cause beginning in the upper layers of the skin.