An outside panel of experts to the US Food and Drug Administration has refused to back the effectiveness of oral over-the-counter (OTC) medicines made with phenylephrine, an ingredient widely used in cold and cough syrups.
The panel unanimously voted against the effectiveness of orally administered phenylephrine as a nasal decongestant, saying no more trials were required to prove otherwise, reports Reuters.
The panel vote could lead to the removal of oral phenylephrine, a major component of popular products like Benadryl, Advil and Tylenol, from the FDA's list of approved OTC ingredients, barring its sale in the US.
Phenylephrine was substituted for pseudoephedrine in many non-prescription cold and allergy medicines after the latter was restricted amid reports of abuse.
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