NAD upholds claims for non-drowsy Claritin

NEW YORK As part of a challenge brought forth by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus on Tuesday determined that certain claims made by Schering-Plough HealthCare Products in a commercial that compares use of Claritin as a non-sedating allergy relief alternative to Zyrtrec, which can cause drowsiness, were adequately supported by the evidence.

However, NAD did recommend that Schering-Plough modify or discontinue the claim that “Most pharmacists caution that Zyrtec causes drowsiness,” because that claim was unsubstantiated.

Schering-Plough, in its advertiser’s statement, said it accepts the NAD’s decision and “will take it into consideration in future advertising relating to this issue.”