Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent disorder, which often manifests as both nasal (congestion, sneezing, itching and rhinorrhoea) and ocular (redness, watery eyes, itching and burning) symptoms. Until recently, efficacy against the ocular symptoms of AR has been inconsistent for any single intranasal corticosteroid (INS). Fluticasone furoate is an enhanced-affinity glucocorticoid with potent anti-inflammatory activity.
Objective: To assess better the efficacy of an INS in the treatment of both the nasal and ocular symptoms of seasonal AR (SAR).
Methods: Data from all four trials of fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) in the treatment of SAR are reviewed and critically considered.
Results: FFNS consistently and significantly improved the nasal and ocular symptoms of SAR in patients sensitised to several different seasonal allergens (grass, ragweed and mountain cedar pollen) in all trials. An integrated analysis of the results also confirmed improvements in both nasal and ocular symptom scores in previously under-represented adolescent patients treated with FFNS.
Conclusion: FFNS is the first INS to show consistent nasal and ocular efficacy across all SAR trials.