The ideal antihistamine should have the following characteristics:
- Rapid onset of action (<30 minutes).
- Long duration of action
- Powerful antihistaminic effect
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Reliable safety profile
This safety profile includes:
- No entry into the brain and no CNS side-effects
- High selectivity for the H1 receptor and no cardiac toxicity
- No potential for pharmacological interactions
- No hepatic metabolism
In vitro binding studies and research in animal tissue have shown the high specificity of bilastine for H1 receptors.
