Generic Allegra

Fexofenadine hydrochloride, the active ingredient of Allegra tablets, Allegra ODT and Allegra oral suspension, is a histamine H1-receptor antagonist with the chemical name (±)-4-[1 hydroxy-4-[4-(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)-1-piperidinyl]-butyl]-α,α-dimethyl benzeneacetic acid hydrochloride. It has the following chemical structure

The molecular weight is 538.13 and the empirical formula is C32H39NO4•HCl.

Fexofenadine hydrochloride is a white to off-white crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in methanol and ethanol, slightly soluble in chloroform and water, and insoluble in hexane. Fexofenadine hydrochloride is a racemate and exists as a zwitterion in aqueous media at physiological pH.

Allegra is formulated as a tablet for oral administration. Each tablet contains 30, 60, or 180 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride (depending on the dosage strength) and the following excipients: croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and pregelatinized starch. The aqueous tablet film coating is made from hypromellose, iron oxide blends, polyethylene glycol, povidone, silicone dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

Allegra ODT is formulated for disintegration in the mouth immediately following administration. Each orally disintegrating tablet contains 30 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride and the following excipients: citric acid anhydrous, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, mannitol, methacrylate copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone K-30, sodium bicarbonate, sodium starch glycolate, aspartame, natural and artificial orange flavor, artificial cream flavor, and alcohol anhydrous; the alcohol is predominantly removed during the manufacturing process.

Allegra oral suspension, a white uniform suspension, contains 6 mg fexofenadine hydrochloride per mL and the following excipients: propylene glycol, edetate disodium, propylparaben, butylparaben, xanthan gum, poloxamer 407, titanium dioxide, sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate, artificial raspberry cream flavor, sucrose, xylitol and purified water.

Dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth have been reported with fexofenadine hydrochloride overdose. Single doses of fexofenadine hydrochloride up to 800 mg (6 healthy subjects at this dose level), and doses up to 690 mg twice daily for 1 month (3 healthy subjects at this dose level) or 240 mg once daily for 1 year (234 healthy subjects at this dose level) were administered without the development of clinically significant adverse events as compared to placebo.

In the event of overdose, consider standard measures to remove any unabsorbed drug. Symptomatic and supportive treatment is recommended. Following administration of terfenadine, hemodialysis did not effectively remove fexofenadine, the major active metabolite of terfenadine, from blood (up to 1.7% removed).

No deaths occurred at oral doses of fexofenadine hydrochloride up to 5000 mg/kg in mice (110 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose in adults and children based on mg/m2) and up to 5000 mg/kg in rats (230 timesthe maximum recommended daily oral dose in adults and 210 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose in children based on mg/m2). Additionally, no clinical signs of toxicity or gross pathological findings were observed. In dogs, no evidence of toxicity was observed at oral doses up to 2000 mg/kg (300 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose in adults and 280 times the maximum recommended daily oral dose in children based on mg/m2).

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

The safety data described below reflect exposure to fexofenadine hydrochloride in 5083 patients in trials for allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria. In these trials, 3010 patients 12 years of age and older with seasonal allergic rhinitis were exposed to fexofenadine hydrochloride at doses of 20 to 240 mg twice daily or 120 to 180 mg once daily. A total of 646 patients 6 to 11 years of age with seasonal allergic rhinitis were exposed to fexofenadine hydrochloride at doses of 15 to 60 mg twice daily. The duration of treatment in these trials was 2 weeks. A total of 534 patients 6 months to 5 years of age with allergic rhinitis were exposed to fexofenadine hydrochloride at doses of 15 to 30 mg twice daily. The duration of treatment in these trials ranged from 1 day to 2 weeks. There were 893 patients 12 years of age and older with chronic idiopathic urticaria exposed to fexofenadine hydrochloride at doses of 20 to 240 mg twice daily or 180 mg once daily. The duration of treatment in these trials was 4 weeks.