Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Qnasl (beclomethasone dipropionate) 40 mcg for the treatment of nasal symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) in children 4-11 years of age.

Qnasl 40 mcg is a lower dose formulation of Qnsl nasal aerosol (80 mcg), a waterless (non-aqueous) intranasal corticosteroid (INS) spray currently available by prescription for adults and adolescents (12 years of age and older) for the treatment of nasal symptoms associated with AR. Qnasl 40 mcg delivers effective symptom relief at one-fourth of the dosage approved to treat adults and is the first and only waterless hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) nasal allergy treatment to be approved for use in patients as young as four years of age. The drug is expected to become available by prescription in February 2015.

“The approval of Qnasl for use in children aged 4-11 is an important advancement for an often difficult-to-treat patient group,” said Dr. Todd Mahr, MD, Director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. “Qnasl 40 mcg has several characteristics that provide prescribers with a treatment option specifically designed for children with allergic rhinitis, including its ‘waterless’ aerosol method of delivery and lower dose formulation.”

For more details, go to: http://www.tevapharm.com/Media/News/Pages/2014/2001044.aspx