Merck & Co.'s montelukast ['Singulair'] significantly reduces the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, according to new data presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) [New Orleans, US; March 2001]. Two large studies presented at the meeting showed that the drug reduces daytime symptoms such as nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, nasal itching and sneezing to a similar extent as Schering-Plough's antihistamine loratadine, and significantly more so than placebo. Other signs of seasonal allergic rhinitis such as night-time symptoms and daytime eye symptoms were also reduced by a significantly greater extent in montelukast and loratadine, compared with placebo, recipients. Moreover, a fixed combination of loratadine/montelukast was effective at reducing symptoms, but was not significantly better than montelukast or loratadine monotherapy. This is in contrast to data presented at the AAAAI meeting 3 years ago which showed the combination product was more effective than monotherapy with either drug.*