Topical pharmacotherapy for allergic rhinitis: new agents.

The advantages of topical (as opposed to systemic) therapy for allergic rhinitis include the avoidance of undesirable systemic effects and the concentration of therapeutic effect on the target organ. Successful topical therapy requires establishment of a proper diagnosis, followed by effective delivery of the medication to the nasal mucosa. In addition to currently available preparations such as cromolyn sodium and various corticosteroids, several other topical nasal preparations for the treatment of allergic rhinitis are under investigation. These include antihistamines (eg, levocabastine), anti-inflammatory/mast cell stabilizing drugs (eg, nedocromil), new corticosteroids (eg, triamcinolone, budesonide, fluocortin, fluticasone), anticholinergics (eg, ipratropium), and miscellaneous agents (eg, HEPP [IgE pentapeptide]).