Johnson and Johnson reports OTC move for Zyrtec

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has announced that the allergy treatment Zyrtec (cetirizine hcl) is to become available over the counter (OTC) without a prescription.

Zyrtec can be used by adults and children to relieve the symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, in addition to itching caused by hives.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the compound for use without a prescription, with this approval coming a week after the FDA approved Zyrtec-D 12 Hour, a combination of Zyrtec with the decongestant pseudoephedrine for OTC use.

Anil Datwani, pharmacist at AR-EX Pharmacy, said: “As a pharmacist, I often help my customers choose the appropriate medication to treat their indoor and outdoor allergies.

“Now allergy sufferers can go to any convenient location where over-the-counter medications are sold to buy Zytrec instead of having to visit their allergist or other healthcare providers.”

He added that the approval is good news for those suffering from both indoor and outdoor allergies.

In June 2006, GSK released its new once-daily intranasal steroid drug Avamys (fluticasone furoate) for relief of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, with the company reporting that the compound meets real patient need in this area.