The love of money drives Big Pharma! Fake studies and salesmanship made them dozens of $billions over two decades, while the “remedies” did nothing to help sick people (“no more effective than a placebo”), and caused side effects. High enough vitamin D levels would have worked for most with no side effects. But they can’t patent vitamin D.
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A key ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications called phenylephrine doesn’t work to get rid of nasal congestion, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel concluded Tuesday. …
Phenylephrine — found in drugs including Sudafed PE, Vicks Nyquil Sinex Nighttime Sinus Relief and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion — is the most popular oral decongestant in the United States, generating almost $1.8 billion in sales last year, according to data presented Monday by FDA officials.
The drug is thought to relieve congestion by reducing the swelling of blood vessels in the nasal passages.
The panel’s vote reflects damning evidence provided by the FDA that found that when phenylephrine is taken orally, a very small amount of the drug actually reaches the nose to relieve congestion. …
“This drug and this oral dose should have been removed from the market a long time ago,” said Jennifer Schwartzott….
Phenylephrine gained popularity in the early 2000s as a replacement for pseudoephedrine, the decongestant used in Sudafed, which was moved behind the pharmacy counter in 2006 in an attempt to curb its misuse as an ingredient to make methamphetamine. …
All the studies concluded that the decongestant was no more effective than a placebo.
“In conclusion, we do believe that the original studies were methodologically unsound and do not match today’s standard. By contrast, we believe the new data are credible and do not provide evidence that oral phenylephrine is effective as a nasal decongestant,” said Dr. Peter Starke, an FDA official who led the review of phenylephrine.
The concern goes beyond ineffectiveness; phenylephrine can come with side effects such as headaches, insomnia and nervousness. At higher doses, it can increase blood pressure.