A double-blind clinical trial of ketotifen and disodium cromoglycate in bronchial asthma

A double-blind cross-over trial compared the efficacy of ketotifen (1 mg b.d.) and DSCG (20 mg q.d.s.) as prophylactic therapy for asthma. It involved two eight-week periods of active therapy, each being preceded by two weeks of double placebo treatment. Analysis of symptoms recorded on diary cards showed that there was a reduction in the cough score in the atopic asthmatics on DSCG compared to ketotifen, and reductions in the cough score, wheeze and dyspnoea on DSCG when compared with placebo. There was a significant reduction in the diurnal variation in PEFR during treatment with DSCG compared to ketotifen and improvement in morning PEFR on DSCG compared with placebo. It was concluded that DSCG resulted in a significant therapeutic effect during the trial, whereas ketotifen (1 mg b.d.) did not.