Allergic rhinitis, with handicapping symptoms in spite of presently available therapies

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease, the symptoms of which can have a strong effect on patients' quality of life. It can be the reason for stopping work, for fatigue, for difficulty sleeping, etc. It is also associated with increased risk for associated conditions, such as chronic rhinosinusitis or asthma. The economic impact of RA is often underestimated due to, for example, considerable indirect expenses. Doctors may not always be aware of the symptoms experienced by their patients and may have a tendency to underestimate the frequency of moderate-to-severe RA. None of the drugs in the available therapeutic arsenal are able to cover the wide variety of symptoms, which often remain poorly controlled in spite of optimal local and/or systemic treatment. Therefore, new treatments with a more rapid and more complete effect on RA are necessary. Such treatments must demonstrate the superiority of their efficacy independent of the severity of the disease, and in studies including patients suffering from severe RA or those presenting with a special symptom, such as ocular symptoms. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.