MedlinePlus a682619 ATC code R06AX18 (WHO) | Routes ofadministration oral Molar mass 348.438 g/mol | |
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AHFS/Drugs.com International Drug Names Pregnancycategory US: B (No risk in non-human studies) Legal status UK: General sales list (GSL, OTC)US: ℞-only | ||
Acrivastine is a medication used for the treatment of allergies and hay fever. It is a second-generation H1-receptor antagonist antihistamine (like its base molecule triprolidine) and works by blocking histamine H1 receptors.
This non-sedating antihistamine is sold under the brand name Benadryl Allergy Relief in the United Kingdom by McNeil Laboratories. It should not be confused with Benadryl Once a Day which has cetirizine as the active ingredient and is also sold by McNeil in the UK. It is available as an over-the-counter medicine in the UK, and is available with or without pseudoephedrine under the Benadryl brand.
In the U.S., acrivastine is the active ingredient in the Semprex brand. Semprex-D also contains the decongestant pseudoephedrine. Semprex-D is marketed in the U.S. by Actient Pharmaceuticals.
Comparisons with other popular antihistamines
Unlike cetirizine or loratadine, for which the standard dose is one tablet per day, a single acrivastine tablet may be taken up to three times a day. It is not to be taken by over 65s, pregnant women, or people with compromised liver or kidney function.