A popular decongestant has been deemed ineffective. Here's what it means for Canadians
CBC
A panel of experts in the U.S. has determined that a decongestant found in many popular over-the-counter medications there and in Canada doesn't do anything to provide relief from a stuffy nose.
On Tuesday, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously that phenylephrine is ineffective.
Here's a breakdown of that decision and what it could mean in Canada.
An independent panel for the FDA determined that phenylephrine was ineffective when taken in pill form.
The experts found that, when taken as a pill, only trace levels of the drug reach nasal passages to relieve congestion, rendering it ineffective.
The drug appears to work better when applied directly to the nose, whether by sprays or drops, and those products are not under review in the U.S.
Phenylephrine became the main ingredient in over-the-counter decongestants in the U.S. after pseudoephedrine, another drug, was restricted because it can be used to make methamphetamine.
Phenylephrine is also found in many decongestants in Canada, including Nyquil, though pseudoephedrine is still found in others, such as Sudafed.
Over the years, numerous studies have questioned the benefits of phenylephrine, finding it no better than a placebo in trials.
The FDA advisory panel challenged the drug's effectiveness in 2007, but the regulator allowed the products to remain on the market pending additional research.
Mina Tadrous, an assistant professor of pharmacy at the University of Toronto, says the panel's decision didn't come as a surprise.
"Phenylephrine is not considered to be that potent," he said.
"This is a very classic tale where you have drugs that have been approved since the '60s and '70s, and we're kind of just revisiting them now with the lens of data and analysis that we didn't use back then."
The Canadian Paediatric Society called phenylephrine's use into question in 2011. Dr. Michael Rieder co-authored a statement outlining the group's position at that time.
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