Mexico City.- US doctors and pharmacists have asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to suspend sales of Theraflu and other flu drugs because they don’t work, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the outlet, studies by various health professionals and groups such as the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy have shown that medications such as Tylenol antipyretics, Benadryl antihistamines, Mucinex expectorants, flu powders and Theraflu cold are no more effective than a placebo and should not be for sale.
These drugs, which are available over the counter in the North American country, rely on phenylephrine, a safe substance, but which, according to at least four studies, does not reduce nasal congestion, since it can only be effective in the form of nasal sprays . Whereas, pills are “absorbed” in the stomach and cannot enter the bloodstream in sufficient quantities to cause vasoconstriction and provide relief.
This substance was first approved by the FDA for the treatment of cold symptoms in 1938. In 2015, researchers at the University of Florida petitioned the agency to remove phenylephrine from the list of approved over-the-counter medications, however, authorities said further study was needed.
