The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to remove a common ingredient in nasal decongestants used by millions of Americans, citing data that shows it’s not effective.
Oral phenylephrine is used in over-the-counter products like Sudafed and Dayquil to help temporarily relieve the common symptom of colds and allergies. Phenylephrine has been sold for more than 75 years, predating the agency’s own regulations on drug effectiveness.
