Drug offers hope for patients suffering from peripheral-vestibular vertigo

The drug Arevert (dimenhydrinate 40mg), used for the treatment of peripheral-vestibular vertigo associated with Ménière-like symptoms, was significantly superior to betahistine in relieving symptoms of the condition when used in combination with cinnarizine 20mg, pharmaceutical Hennig Arzneimittel has announced.

The research findings came from a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, two-parallel group study, and were recently presented at the German Society of Neurology Annual Meeting 2016 (DGN 2016) held in Mannheim, Germany.

The presented data showed Arlevert to be significantly superior to betahistine in reducing the intensity of vertigo symptoms in patients suffering from peripheral-vestibular vertigo after 1 and 4 weeks of therapy. Patients also demonstrated significantly improved quality of life with 64% of patients in the Arlevert group no longer affected in their daily activities, while the proportion in the betahistine group was 46.3%.

Arlevert licensed for the treatment of vertigo symptoms of various origins

Arne-Wulf Scholtz, MD, PhD, said: “For GPs, Arlevert is the ideal first-line treatment for patients presenting with all types of vertigo symptoms. This data is very encouraging for patients suffering from peripheral-vestibular vertigo, a chronic and unforgiving condition and demonstrates the favourable outcome of Arlevert when compared to other current therapies.”

The study also assessed the tolerability of the medication. It found that 61.1% of Arlevert patients felt their medication was very well tolerated, while in the betahistine group this was 49.3%. This is also reflected in the number of side effects – all non-serious. In the Arlevert group, 4 patients reported side effects, while in the betahistine group, there were 8 adverse reactions.

Arlevert has been widely prescribed in Germany for 30 years and is licenced in the UK for the treatment of vertigo symptoms of various origins in adults. When compared to betahistine or other anti-vertigo drugs, the efficacy and safety of Arlevert is favourably demonstrated in other areas, in numerous randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical trials.

Arlevert has level 1A evidence to support its clinical effectiveness in managing vertigo symptoms of mixed origin. In contrast, grade 1B evidence is achieved for the use of betahistine to prevent attacks in patients suffering from Ménière’s disease.