Fexofenadine

Fexofenadine, sold under the brand name Allegra among others, is an <a href="/facts/Histamine_antagonist/HuMC25lt">antihistamine</a> <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutical_drug/h9mhwWP2">pharmaceutical drug</a> used in the treatment of allergy symptoms, such as <a href="/facts/Allergic_rhinitis/ukE6bkIs">hay fever</a> and <a href="/facts/Urticaria/zMkVo9qL">urticaria</a>.
Therapeutically, fexofenadine is a <a href="/facts/Binding_selectivity/RryTsdGv">selective</a> <a href="/facts/Peripherally_selective_drug/Jzzu4aSg">peripheral</a> <a href="/facts/H1_antagonist/L8azxq55">H1 blocker</a>. It is classified as a second-generation antihistamine because it is less able to pass the <a href="/facts/Blood%E2%80%93brain_barrier/xYzvVwdu">blood–brain barrier</a> and cause sedation, compared to first-generation antihistamines.
It was patented in 1979 and came into medical use in 1996. It is on the <a href="/facts/WHO_Model_List_of_Essential_Medicines/6kmu81Xm">World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines</a>. Fexofenadine has been manufactured in generic form since 2011. In 2022, it was the 257th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.

Fexofenadine open-in-new

Fexofenadine