(EMAILWIRE.COM, December 20, 2002 ) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval today for the over-the-counter (OTC) allergy drug Alavert® (10mg loratadine orally disintegrating tablets). Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), will immediately begin shipping 12-, 24- and 48-count quantities of Alavert to retailers, grocery stores and pharmacies around the country. The company will begin shipping a six-count trial size package next week.

One dose of Alavert offers non-drowsy, 24-hour allergy relief in a convenient, quick-dissolving form that can be taken with or without water. With its low cost, 48-count package is approximately $28, consumers are offered allergy relief at less than one-third the suggested retail price per tablet of the other comparable OTC loratadine product that is being sold.

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare currently markets many leading OTC brands, including Advil ®, Robitussin®, Centrum®, and Chap Stick®. They were also the first company to submit an application to the FDA to have the orally disintegrating tablet form of loratadine switched from prescription to OTC status. Alavert is the first loratadine product, aside from Claritin, to be approved by the FDA for sale to people without a prescription.

------------------------

Produced for Wyeth

CONTACT:
Francis Sullivan, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, 973-660-6923
Justin Victoria, Wyeth, 973-660-5340

------------------------

Contact Information:
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us


This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.