HMR Pushes Allegra As It Faces Possible Seldane Ban

Hoechst Marion Roussel has launched an "aggressive" promotional campaignto switch patients needing treatment for seasonal allergic rhinitis from its product Seldane (terfenadine HCl) to its new treatment, Allegra (fexofenadine HCl; Marketletters passim).

Allegra was launched in its first market, the USA, towards the end of August last year (Marketletter September 2, 1996). The company said that the product is at least as good as other products on the market, but is safer. HMR found that some harmful drug interactions were encountered with Seldane.

HMR says that Allegra has a market share of around 5%, and that only 7% of new Allegra patients have switched from Seldane to Allegra. The new campaign positions Allegra as safe for a broader range of patients than Seldane, and, therefore, is "a better therapeutic option for the treatment of seasonal allergies."