CAN’T BREATHE

FDA Finds Over-the-Counter Cold and Allergy Drugs Are Largely Useless

The government agency may revoke the drug’s OTC designation, thus taking it away from stores and forcing manufacturers to make new drugs.

A crucial ingredient in several common over-the-counter cold and allergy medications doesn’t actually work. A Food and Drug Administration panel found on Tuesday that oral versions of phenylephrine are ineffective at eliminating nasal congestion. The component is found in common drugs like Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion, Sudafed PE, and Vicks Sinex. These oral decongestants are designed to reduce blood vessel swelling in the nasal passages, but the FDA found that, in reality, only a small amount of the drug arrives at the nose. The finding may lead to the drug’s OTC designation being removed, thus forcing them out of pharmacies and requiring manufacturers to come up with new products. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, an organization that represents OTC manufacturers, did not present anything to disprove the FDA’s findings, instead claiming that taking away oral phenylephrine would hurt customers. The group submitted a survey that demonstrated that one in two U.S. households used an OTC decongestant over the past year and preferred an oral formulation over nasal spray three to one.