House committee investigates FDA’s handling of common nasal decongestant as efficacy questions loom

A House pan­el is prob­ing the FDA over how it has al­lowed a com­mon in­gre­di­ent in over-the-counter cold med­ica­tions to stay on the mar­ket for decades af­ter new da­ta sug­gest­ed that it doesn’t work to treat nasal con­ges­tion.

In a let­ter sent to FDA Com­mis­sion­er Rob Califf dat­ed Sun­day, Rep. Lisa Mc­Clain (R-MI), who chairs the House Over­sight sub­com­mit­tee on health­care, asks the FDA to sched­ule a brief­ing with com­mit­tee staff to glean more in­for­ma­tion on the agency’s han­dling of oral phenyle­phrine, the ac­tive in­gre­di­ent in sev­er­al cold med­i­cines like Sudafed and Ther­aflu.

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