Repurposing of H1-Receptor Antagonists Cetirizine, Loratadine, and Fexofenadine for Systematic Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov Trials Using Semi-Automated Processes

The document discusses the repurposing of H1-receptor antagonists, specifically cetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine, using custom-coded software to analyze data from clinicaltrials.gov. The software analyzed metadata from 70 to 104 studies per drug, identifying potential new uses for these drugs in conditions such as asthma, infusion-associated reactions, G-CSF-associated bone pain, alopecia, and COVID-19. For alopecia, topical cetirizine was found to be less effective than minoxidil in improving hair density, but it might have a longer-lasting effect. The document also mentions a study involving 61,627 women that found loratadine and desloratadine improved survival rates in breast cancer and melanoma patients. However, the authors highlight limitations, including reliance on information provided by study authors on clinicaltrials.gov and the challenge of trials not having published results.