Fexofenadine, also Allegra, is an antihistamine pharmaceutical drug used to treat allergy symptoms such as hay fever and urticaria.
Fexofenadine is a selective peripheral H1 blocker used in medicine. It is classified as a second-generation antihistamine because, compared to first-generation antihistamines, it is less able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause sedation.
It was patented in 1979 and first used in medicine in 1996.
It is included on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines. Since 2011, fexofenadine has been available in generic form. With over 1 million prescriptions in 2020, it was the 255th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States.
