Beclomethasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray for seasonal allergic rhinitis in children

A 3-week double-blind, parallel group study comparing the effectiveness and safety of an aqueous formulation of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP-AQ) versus placebo was undertaken in 101 patients. Children aged 5 to 13 years with a diagnosis of seasonal allergic rhinitis received one spray in each nostril twice daily of either BDP-AQ (42 micrograms/spray) or an identical placebo spray. Patient assessment at the end of treatment indicated statistically significant improvement in nasal symptoms for BDP-AQ patients. The physicians overall evaluation of treatment indicated that the BDP-AQ-treated patients experienced significantly greater (P = .012) improvement as compared with placebo-treated patients. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two treatments. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of BDP-AQ nasal spray in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis in children.