Nasonex partners up with American Forests to increase allergy awareness

KENILWORTH, N.J. Drug maker Schering-Plough, which recently agreed to an acquisition by Merck & Co., announced Wednesday that it would launch a campaign with a national tree-planting organization to educate consumers about nasal allergies and the environment.

Schering-Plough, which makes the prescription antihistamine nasal spray Nasonex (mometasone furoate monohydrate), has launched the “Don’t Blow It” Web site, at www.dontblowit.com, with American Forests. The drug maker described the site as an online health game with tips for people with nasal allergies and said that for each person who joins, it will donate money to plant a low-allergenic tree, for a total of up to 20,000.

Studies have indicated that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and warmer temperatures spur plant and pollen growth, resulting in earlier blooms and allergy seasons.

“I’ve noticed that my patients with seasonal nasal allergies are seeking treatment earlier each spring,” Easton, Pa.-based Valley Allergy & Asthma Center director Eric Schenkel said. “As many nasal allergy sufferers face longer seasons and more pollen, an online resource like the ‘Don’t Blow It’ game can help educate people about the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment, in an engaging and entertaining way.”