FDA Advisors Confirm: Common Decongestant in Cold Medicines Ineffective

An advisory panel to the FDA has unanimously declared that the main ingredient, phenylephrine, found in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications does not effectively relieve nasal congestion. This could potentially lead to the removal of phenylephrine from the market, forcing manufacturers to reformulate their products. The decision could impact companies like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, as well as retail pharmacy chains. Researchers at the University of Florida petitioned the FDA to remove phenylephrine based on recent studies showing its ineffectiveness. FDA staff concluded that oral forms of phenylephrine do not work at standard or higher doses.