A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Tuesday unanimously concluded that oral phenylephrine, the decongestant found in many common cold medications, is ineffective.
Phenylephrine is used in a broad array of over-the-counter medications like Sudafed PE and Dimetapp. The drug brought in nearly $1.8 billion in sales in 2022, according to an FDA briefing document, a number that is likely an undercount.
Phenylephrine is different from pseudoephedrine, which is found in cold medications that are kept behind the pharmacy counter.
