Effect of Veramyst and Olopatadine 0.2% Opthalmic Solution on Allergy Symptoms

We performed a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, four-way crossover study in 21 subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis studied out of season. Healthy patients, between 18 and 50 years of age, came to the Nasal Physiology Laboratory at The University of Chicago for screening, where they completed an allergy questionnaire and underwent skin puncture testing for confirmation of allergy to grass or ragweed. Female subjects were given pregnancy tests. Patients who were eligible then underwent a screening nasal challenge with either grass or ragweed allergen depending on their skin test results and history. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at The University of Chicago and all of the patients gave written informed consent before entry. After a 2-week washout period, after the screening challenge, 21 subjects who had positive screening challenge returned to the Nasal Physiology Laboratory where they were randomized to receive 1 week of one of four treatments: * placebo (PL) nasal spray and PL eye drops (PL/PL), * PL nasal spray and olopatadine (OLO) 0.2% ophthalmic solution (PL/OLO), * fluticasone furoate (FF, also known as Veramyst) nasal spray and PL eye drops (FF/PL), and * FF nasal spray and olopatadine (OLO) 0.2% ophthalmic solution (FF/OLO). Specifically, the PL eye drops used were lubricant eye drops with active ingredients of 0.3% glycerin and 1.0% propylene glycol and the PL nasal spray was provided by GlaxoSmithKline. Treatment with OLO consisted of 1 drop of 0.2% OLO in each eye daily and treatment of FF consisted of 2 puffs in each nostril daily, giving a total of 110 micrograms delivered in each nostril. After a week of each of the treatments, the subjects returned to the Nasal Physiology Laboratory to undergo a nasal challenge. The subjects then returned the next day while still receiving treatment for another nasal challenge to augment the nasal ocular reflex. Next, the patients had a 2-week washout period and then switched over to the next randomized treatment arm. This sequence was repeated until subjects completed all four arms of the trial.