The curious story of Claritin

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/magazine/the-claritin-effect-prescription-for-profit.html?sec=health&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Some interesting bits...
- Claritin, sold at 10mg is shown to reduce allergies better then placebo. (Claritin v.s. placebo is 40% v.s. 30%, only a little better) An FDA scientist suggested that Claritin is more potent at 40mg, but at that dosage it's not "non-drowsy" any more. As "non-drowsy" is Claritin's main selling point, they sell at 10mg, where drowseyness is minimal, yet efficacy is also minimal XDD
- Claritin is one of the most strongly marketed drugs on the market. As on page 7 of the linked article quotes Marcia Angell from The New England Journal of Medicine: ''Marketing is meant to sell drugs, and the less important the drug, the more marketing it takes to sell it. Important new drugs do not need much promotion. Me-too drugs do.''

Interesting stuff indeed. No wonder Loratidine (the generic name of Claritin) never works for me, but Loratidine still makes me drowsy :D