The popular decongestants Sudafed and DayQuil, among others, don't actually work, according to advisers to the Food and Drug Administration.
An advisory panel voted unanimously on Tuesday against the effectiveness of phenylephrine, the key ingredient in popular decongestants like Sudafed and DayQuil. Phenylephrine has been the prime ingredient in over-the-counter decongestants since 2006, when the previous ingredient, pseudoephedrine, was moved behind the counter due to its ability to be processed into methamphetamine.
“Modern studies, when well conducted, are not showing any improvement in congestion with phenylephrine,” Dr. Mark Dykewicz, an allergy specialist at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, said, according to ABC News.
The two-day meeting came after University of Florida researchers petitioned the FDA to remove most products containing the drug following studies that failed to show its efficacy. They had previously challenged the drug in 2007, but the FDA held off until further research was conducted.
If the FDA goes through with the panel's recommendation, drugmakers such as Johnson & Johnson and Bayer will have to pull all products containing the product from shelves.
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The advisory group also ruled out performing tests with higher doses of phenylephrine, as it can raise blood pressure to possibly dangerous levels.
“I think there’s a safety issue there,” Dr. Paul Pisaric of Archwell Health in Oklahoma told the outlet. “I think this is a done deal as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t work.”