Subject: To evaluate the efficacy Montelukast and Levocetirizine Combination in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis comorbidity

Approximately 10 to 40% of the population worldwide is suffering from allergic rhinitis (AR). Perennial and seasonal presentation of AR is because of house dust mites, animals, mold spores and exposure to pollen respectively.

AR has the greatest negative impact on work productivity of any chronic disease, exceeding that of heart disease and diabetes combined. Antihistamines and leukotriene inhibitors still enjoy the status of drug of choice in management of AR. Prime symptoms of AR like pruritus, sneezing and watery rhinorrhea are controlled by antihistamines, whereas, montelukast (LT inhibitor) serves a role in reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis which are not controlled with antihistamines alone by competitively and reversibly inhibiting cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs). Therefore, a combination of montelukast with antihistamines could be synergistic where each component is complementing each other’s effects.

Allergic rhinitis and asthma have long been regarded as separate clinical manifestations of upper and lower respiratory tract diseases, respectively. However, recent advances in research have shown that allergic respiratory diseases are not restricted to specific areas, such as the nasal cavity or bronchi, but are present throughout the respiratory system; they appear as a wide range of clinical disorders, including rhinitis and asthma, which are closely related to each other epidemiologically, clinically, and pathophysiologically. The features of airway hypersensitivity, as well as early- and late-phase allergic reactions, can be present in both the nose and lungs simultaneously.

In literature only limited studies are available for the effect of combination therapy of montelukast and levocetirizine on the Indian population. Hence, this study was designed to assess the efficacy of montelukast with levocetirizine as treatment for allergic rhinitis in Indian patients with Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis.

We invite you to participate in this data collection activity. All you need to do is to report on a standard form your experience of treating a case of allergic rhinitis with asthma in the normal course of your practice. If you agree to participate, you will need to copy the relevant information from these ………. patients’ data on data collection forms (which we call DCF). Kindly ensure that only those patients are included who newly diagnosed as Asthma.

We trust you and we are partners in promoting safe and effective drug therapy. In that spirit we hope you will consent to participate in this study. If you do, please sign and return the enclosed reply along with your visiting card for accuracy of records.

Your Truly,
Sun Pharma Laboratories Limited