Oxatomide. A review of its pharmacodynamic properties and therapeutic efficacy.

Oxatomide is an orally active H1-histamine receptor antagonist which, as appears to occur with some other antihistamines, also inhibits mast cell degranulation. Oxatomide has demonstrated response rates similar to those with other more established members of its drug class in a few studies of chronic urticaria and allergic rhinitis. Interestingly, some patients responding to oxatomide were said to be unresponsive to previously administered antihistamines. The effect of oxatomide was little different from placebo in clinical trials of bronchial asthma in adults. While somewhat more encouraging results have been reported in children with bronchial asthma when higher than presently recommended dosages were employed, and in follicular conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergy, reports to date are largely preliminary in nature and additional well-controlled studies are needed to clarify the efficacy of oxatomide in such conditions. The drug has been generally well tolerated, but shares some of the familiar H1-histamine receptor antagonist side effects. As with other similarly acting drugs, the 2 primary side effects with oxatomide are drowsiness and weight gain. Thus, on the basis of present evidence, a trial with oxatomide seems a potentially useful alternative in patients with conditions known or thought to be allergic in nature, in whom more established treatments were ineffective or poorly tolerated.