Efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate vs nedocromil sodium as prophylactic treatment for moderate/severe seasonal allergic rhinitis

Background: The preventive use of medications has been proposed to be effective in the treatment of seasonal rhinitis. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate and nedocromil sodium nasal sprays as prophylactic treatment for moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Patients: Sixty-one patients were recruited from 3 referral allergy centers. Inclusion criteria were history of SAR for 2 years or longer. sensitization to relevant local pollen (grasses, Parietaria, and olive), and age older than 12 years. Methods: An open-label. randomized, parallel-group, "real-life" study design was used. Patients received mometasone furoate nasal spray once daily or nedocromil sodium nasal spray 3 times daily starting 2 to 4 weeks before the pollen season and continuing for LIP to 4 months. Instructions regarding the use of additional medications were given. Diary cards recording symptoms. use of medication, and adverse events were kept by the patients. Results: All 61 patients completed the study. The prophylactic use of mometasone furoate vs nedocromil sodium led to significantly more days without symptoms (75. 1 % vs 54.5%; P < .001). The mometasone furoate group also had lower nasal symptom scores (mean, 1.4 vs 2.9; median, 0 vs 2; P < .001) and was more satisfied (93.1% vs 43.5%; P < .001). No serious adverse event was recorded, and there was no difference between the treatments in any adverse event. Conclusions: Prophylactic administration of mometasone furoate before the pollen season is safe and may lead to improved control of SAR compared with the use of nedocromil sodium.