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desloratadine + pseudoephedrine (Clarinex D / Aerinaze)

✓ Approved

Merck & Co. · HRH1 · Small Molecule

What is desloratadine + pseudoephedrine?

desloratadine + pseudoephedrine is a small molecule developed by Merck & Co.. It is approved for therapeutic indications via oral (po).

Drug Profile

Brand NamesClarinex D, Aerinaze
CompanyMerck & Co.
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetHRH1
RouteOral (PO)
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Merck & Co.

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

desloratadine + pseudoephedrine acts on 1 molecular target:

HRH1histamine receptor H1 (HH1R, H1R)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

desloratadine + pseudoephedrine is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Immune system disordersSeasonal allergy✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedFrontiers in medicine2026-08-28

Second-generation H1 antihistamines for the treatment of chronic urticaria: a network meta-analysis.

Li Zixuan Z, Zhang Juan J, Zheng Yaqi Y, Zhang Mingyan M et al.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 10 commonly used second-generation H1 antihistamines (cetirizine, levocetirizine, loratadine, desloratadine, ebastine, bilastine, olopatadine, rupatadine, fexofenadine, and mizolastine) at licensed doses in treating chronic urticaria using network meta-analysis. Seven electronic databases were searched, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System. Relevant literature from inception to the end of December 2025 was retrieved. Studies meeting the criteria were selected, and network meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16 software. A total of 54 studies involving 7,290 patients were included. Network meta-analysis indicated that olopatadine, mizolastine, bilastine, and levocetirizine were more effective than placebo in improving total symptom scores. All 10 drugs were superior to placebo in reducing itching scores, although only fexofenadine achieved statistical significance. For reducing wheal scores, ebastine was significantly more effective than mizolastine and loratadine. Regarding adverse reactions, no significant differences were observed between any of the drugs and placebo, with fexofenadine having the lowest adverse reaction rate. Sensitivity analyses excluding highrisk studies confirmed the robustness of findings across all outcomes. Based on current evidence, olopatadine at licensed dose exhibited the best efficacy in reducing total symptom scores. Fexofenadine was most effective for improving itching scores and ebastine was optimal for reducing wheal scores. In addition, fexofenadine had the lowest incidence of adverse reactions. However, the conclusions of this study still need to be validated by further high-quality randomized controlled trials.

PMID 42662818
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PubMedFrontiers in pharmacology2026-08-26

The impact of patient age on the pharmacist's recommendation of OTC anti-common cold products before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kopa-Stojak Paulina Natalia PN, Pietrusiewicz Malgorzata M, Pawliczak Rafal R

A pharmacist is the first point of contact when a patient seeks the most effective over-the-counter treatment, usually for a self-diagnosed disease, especially in the case of difficult or limited access to medical practitioners. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the patient's age on the pharmacist's recommendation of over-the-counter anti-common cold treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is based on a self-developed questionnaire about pharmacists' recommendations for patients with cold symptoms collected in four large network community pharmacies in Lodz, Poland, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearson's chi-square test and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to determine the relationship between the patient's age and frequency of medication recommendations. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine differences in recommendations between the analyzed periods. We report higher odds of pharmacists' recommendations (odds ratio > 1; p < 0.01667) for ibuprofen with pseudoephedrine for patients aged 18-40 years, paracetamol with ascorbic acid, and phenylephrine HCl, acetylcysteine, other soluble products, and other tablets/capsules for patients aged 61-90 years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, there were higher odds of recommendations for paracetamol with ascorbic acid and phenylephrine HCl, inosines, and other soluble products for the 41-60 age cohort, and for homeopathic and herbal products for the 61-90 age cohort during the pandemic. Patients, especially older people who take several medications, require special attention when being advised about over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Our findings clearly demonstrated the constant need for improving pharmacists' counseling regarding OTC medicines (i.e., age-, comorbidities-, and drug-drug-interaction-adapting recommendations) by training and increasing professional skills.

PMID 42643370
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PubMedForensic science international2026-08-24

LC-MS/MS-based impurity profiling of high-purity methamphetamine for precursor identification and regional comparison.

Kim Se-Eun SE, Bae Hyunah H, Kim Heeseung H

Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely abused illicit drug synthesized primarily using either ephedrine/pseudoephedrine or 1-phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) as precursors. These processes generate precursor-derived impurities that can provide valuable forensic intelligence. However, recent advances in purification techniques have resulted in refined MA samples containing impurities at ultra-trace levels, thereby posing analytical challenges for conventional gas chromatography-based methods. In this study, a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for the targeted detection of MA precursor-associated impurities at ultra-trace levels. A total of 19 impurities, including markers associated with the P2P and ephedrine/pseudoephedrine precursor classes, were analyzed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions were optimized to achieve high sensitivity and selectivity. The developed method demonstrated limits of detection ranging from 0.008 to 2.500 ng/mg and showed satisfactory selectivity and repeatability for qualitative identification. The method was applied to 33 high-purity seized MA samples to evaluate precursor-associated impurity profiles and regional differences based on documented geographical origins. Differences in impurity patterns were observed between samples from North America and Southeast Asia, reflecting regional variation in these profiles. P2P-related impurities were detected in North American samples, whereas Southeast Asian samples exhibited more variable profiles, including both P2P- and ephedrine/pseudoephedrine-related markers. These results demonstrate that the proposed LC-MS/MS method enables reliable detection of ultra-trace level impurities and provides a valuable analytical tool for impurity profiling and forensic intelligence applications, particularly for highly purified MA samples.

PMID 42636747
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PubMedSubstance use & misuse2026-08-17

Underrecognized Substance Exposure in Pediatric Emergency Departments: Insights from Universal LC-MS/MS Confirmation.

Kardaş Zehra Z, Kondolot Meda M, Karakükçü Çiğdem Ç, Koçer Derya D et al.

Substance exposure among pediatric emergency department (ED) patients may be underrecognized because routine urine immunoassays have limited analytical sensitivity, and objective confirmatory toxicological data in pediatric ED populations remain limited. This dual-phase observational study included patients aged 6-18 years who underwent toxicological assessment in two tertiary pediatric EDs in Central Anatolia, Türkiye. The retrospective phase (2018-2021) tested each sample by either immunoassay or LC-MS/MS, depending on time of collection, but not both. The prospective phase (January 2022-2023) enrolled clinically suspected cases, all tested by both methods regardless of screening result. Logistic regression evaluated factors associated with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-confirmed positivity in the prospective cohort. Results: A total of 1039 patients were included (852 retrospective; 187 prospective). In the retrospective cohort, immunoassay screening (n = 570) identified positivity in 19.8% (113/570), while LC-MS/MS on a separate subset (n = 282) identified 32.6% (92/282); these derive from non-overlapping subsets, not paired testing. In the prospective cohort, LC-MS/MS positivity was 11.2% (21/187) by standard cutoff and 18.8% (35/187) with an exploratory limit of quantitation (LOQ)-supported benzodiazepine interpretation (after excluding 18 pseudoephedrine/ephedrine-only patients). Benzodiazepines and amphetamine-type stimulants were most frequently detected. Younger age, psychiatric illness, and daily screen exposure >3 h were independently associated with positivity. Immunoassay screening showed high specificity but limited sensitivity against LC-MS/MS. Conclusions: Routine immunoassay screening may substantially underestimate pediatric substance exposure in ED settings. LC-MS/MS provides broader and more sensitive toxicological detection, though differences also partly reflect broader analyte coverage rather than sensitivity alone.

PMID 42605130
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PubMedPerspectives in clinical research2026-08-13

A prospective, observational study of efficacy and safety of desloratadine and bilastine in patients of chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Bansod Suchi S, Kalikar Mrunalini Vinay MV, Sontakke Smita S, Mukhi Jayesh Ishwardas JI et al.

Urticaria is a disease where there is development of short-lived itchy wheals (hives), angioedema, or both.[1] With a lifetime prevalence of up to 22%, it is a widespread skin disorder that affects the general population. Urticarial episodes lasting longer than 6 weeks are considered chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).[23] Bilastine is a novel second-generation H1-antihistamine approved by the Drugs Controller General of India for the symptomatic treatment of CSU. Till date, there are very few studies in the Indian population comparing the efficacy and safety of bilastine with second-generation antihistaminic. Hence, the study was planned to assess and compare the efficacy and safety of desloratadine and bilastine in patients of CSU. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of desloratadine and bilastine in patients of CSU. It was a randomized, open-label, parallel group, comparative study conducted in 60 patients of CSU attending the dermatology outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Patients were divided into 2 groups of 30 each. They received either desloratadine 5 mg or Bilastine 20 mg once daily for 6 weeks, and efficacy and safety were assessed at 2-, 4- and 6-week follow-up visit. Difference in MTSS was significant in bilastine as well as desloratadine, which showed that bilastine was equally efficacious as desloratadine. Adverse events were reported more in the desloratadine group. Bilastine is equally efficacious as desloratadine, and a favourable safety profile may make it a more tolerable H1-antihistaminic than desloratadine.

PMID 42592586
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PubMedBMJ military health2026-08-11

.Degradation of active drugs in medicinal vials exposed to temperature extremes encountered during military operations: the Military Medication Temperature Effect Study.

Shah Shreyans S, Wu Charlene C, Sime Fekade F, Wallis Steven S et al.

Maintaining the activity of pharmaceuticals and preventing the accumulation of harmful degradation products during storage are essential for efficacy and safety, particularly for non-titrated medications such as antibiotics. Although manufacturers' storage instructions usually specify a target controlled temperature, military operations often occur in extreme environments with substantial temperature variability. No manufacturer provides data to guide decisions under such circumstances. This study assessed the stability of 10 medications commonly used in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) prehospital setting when subjected to operationally relevant temperatures. 10 medications (pseudoephedrine, cefazolin, tranexamic acid, ceftriaxone, hydrocortisone, benzylpenicillin, promethazine, ketorolac, amiodarone and metoclopramide) were stored for 14 or 28 days under five conditions: -20°C, 30°C, 50°C, 30°C-50°C diurnal cycling and ambient control (24°C±1°C). Stability was assessed by recording pH, visual appearance, subvisible particle count distribution and intact content using validated physicochemical and chromatographic methods. Changes exceeding the coefficient of variation (CV) of ambient control replicates were flagged as signs of potential instability. Nine of the 10 medications retained ≥90% of original content across all conditions and met criteria for stability according to visual appearance, pH and subvisible particle formation. However, after 14 days at 50°C, cefazolin content fell below this threshold (87.7%), and the CV in pH failed the acceptance criterion. Minor fluctuations above control CV were also noted for tranexamic acid, promethazine and pseudoephedrine, but no significant degradation trends emerged. Most of the medications tested retained acceptable physicochemical characteristics over 28 days under conditions simulating field exposure. These findings provide preliminary support that some medications may remain suitable for use when manufacturer-recommended temperatures cannot be maintained, and resupply is unlikely. However, the single sample (n=1) study design limits confidence in the findings. Further replicated studies are required before these results should inform medicines management policy.

PMID 42580819
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