Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35833202›Full record

ReviewThe World Allergy Organization journal2022

Carla Carnovale, Vera Battini, Michele Gringeri, Marina Volonté, Maria Chiara Uboldi, Andrea Chiarenza, Giovanni Passalacqua

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in The World Allergy Organization journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Carla CarnovaleUnit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, "Luigi Sacco" University Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Italy.
Vera BattiniUnit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, "Luigi Sacco" University Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Italy.
Michele GringeriUnit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, "Luigi Sacco" University Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157, Italy.
Marina VolontéScientific Affairs Department, Sanofi, Milan, Italy.
Maria Chiara UboldiScientific Affairs Department, Sanofi, Milan, Italy.
Andrea ChiarenzaPharmacovigilance and Safety Department, Sanofi Italia & Malta MCO, Italy.
Giovanni PassalacquaAllergy and Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Sanofi (Italy) · ITUniversity of Milan · ITOspedale Policlinico San Martino · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The change from prescription to over-the-counter (OTC) status of oral antihistamines may raise concerns about drug safety due to the possibility of misuse/abuse. In most European countries, oral antihistamines are available without prescription, whereas in Italy, only <10-tablet packs are available OTC. Objectives: To evaluate the safety profile of fexofenadine after OTC switch in Italy in a real-world setting, and to compare its safety profile to that of other European countries where larger pack sizes are available. To compare the safety of fexofenadine, cetirizine, and loratadine in Italy. To examine safety/efficacy across Europe with a systematic review. Methods: This case-by-case analysis used the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event reporting system (FAERS) to extract data of the adverse events (AEs) related to fexofenadine, loratadine and cetirizine in Italy January 2010-June 2020. The year 2016 was taken as the index date (removal of prescription requirement) for evaluation of the reporting trend of AEs of fexofenadine in Italy and make a comparison pre/post-OTC switch. A comparison of AEs with other European countries where fexofenadine is sold OTC in large packs >20 tablets (Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Hungary) was made. The rate at which an AE related to oral antihistamines occurred was estimated by calculation of the reporting rate (number of cases/[defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants per day]) on the basis of IQVIA sales data using the Italian Institute of Statistics database. A systematic review of the literature was also performed. Results: There were 3760 reports of AEs with a suspected association with fexofenadine; of these, eight were reported from Italy. There was a slightly increasing trend per year, in line with a general reporting trend of other drugs. In European countries where fexofenadine is available, the impact of OTC switch on AE reporting activity was negligible: from 2016, the reporting rate increased slightly and then normalized at 3.01, an incidence value similar to that recorded before the OTC switch (3.7 in 2015). Of 22 studies included in the systematic review, 18 (82%) positively evaluated the OTC use of oral antihistamines, confirming an acceptable safety/tolerability profile. Conclusion: There was no difference in number of AEs reported for fexofenadine pre/post-OTC switch, indicating a similar safety profile. Spontaneous reporting systems are a valuable source of real-world data and support the OTC provision of oral antihistamines in Europe and fexofenadine in Italy, in addition to supporting the use of larger pack sizes in Italy.

Indexed as

FexofenadineFood and drug administration adverse event reporting system (FAERS)Over-the-counter (OTC)PharmacovigilanceSecond-generation oral antihistamines

Identifiers

PMID35833202
PMCPMC9260294
OpenAlexW4283779821

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.