Once daily levocetirizine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria

E Nettis1, G F Calogiuri2, E Di Leo1, F Cardinale3, L Macchia1, A Ferrannini1, A Vacca1,41Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases; 24th Pneumology Department, Pneumologic Hospital A Galateo, San Cesario di Lecce, Italy; 3Department of Biomedicina dell’Età Evolutiva, Pediatrics Unit “S Maggiore”; 4Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, ItalyAbstract: Levocetirizine is the pharmacologically active enantiomer of cetirizine. It is a potent histamine H-1 receptor antagonist with anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. The review analyses the levocetirizine’s properties in terms of safety and efficacy both in allergic rhinitis and urticarioid syndromes.Keywords: allergic rhinitis, chronic idiopatic urticaria, levocetirizine