Lemsip and other cold and flu decongestants are ‘not effective’ as experts call for them be pulled from shelves

LEMSIP and different fashionable acold and flu tablets should beryllium pulled from Britain's shelves due to the fact that they don't work, experts person said.

The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday projected removing oral phenylephrine - wide utilized successful acold and cough syrups - arsenic an progressive constituent successful over-the-counter drugs for nasal congestion.

Phenylephrine is utilized successful a assortment of flu and acold medicines, including fashionable products specified arsenic Benadryl, Advil, and Tylenol.

It is besides an constituent successful nasal sprays to dainty congestion, but the FDA's enactment is lone related to orally administered phenylephrine - not the nasal spray form.

A fig of experts person called for the oral phenylephrine remedies - including Sudafed, Lemsip and Beechams - to beryllium pulled from Britain's shelves.

CEO of Independent Pharmacies Association, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, told MailOnline: "It is clip for our regulators to intervene and springiness their guidance to assistance each pharmacists marque the correctly informed nonrecreational decision.

"The statement astir the effectiveness of phenylephrine arsenic an oral decongestant has been going connected for immoderate clip and subject present seems to beryllium that it is not effectual portion determination are plentifulness of different products disposable for nasal congestion."

The oral phenylephrine remedies are the lone ones affected by the existent discussion.

Professor Ron Eccles, who utilized to tally the Common Cold Centre astatine Cardiff University, antecedently said that phenylephrine was "an ineffective decongestant" erstwhile taken orally.

He said that this is due to the fact that it is metabolised successful the gut and liver earlier it reaches the nose.

"'My presumption is that [oral] phenylephrine products should beryllium discontinued successful the UK arsenic they bash not supply immoderate decongestion.," helium said.

But helium added that nasal decongestant sprays are effective.

Today the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Britain's cause watchdog, said it was not assessing the ingredient.

Chief information serviceman Dr Alison Cave said determination person been "no caller information concerns identified" with products containing phenylephrine.

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), which represents organisations making medicines disposable implicit the counter, said their regulator "has intelligibly stated that determination person been nary caller information concerns".

Last twelvemonth successful the US, an extracurricular sheet of experts unanimously voted against the effectiveness of orally administered phenylephrine arsenic a nasal decongestant, adding that nary much trials were required to beryllium otherwise.

The FDA is present seeking nationalist comments connected this projected order.

For now, companies whitethorn proceed to marketplace cause products containing oral phenylephrine arsenic a nasal decongestant.

However, the FDA said it would supply manufacturers with due clip to either reformulate drugs containing oral phenylephrine oregon region specified drugs from the market.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association said successful a connection that it was "disappointed successful FDA's connection to reverse its long-established presumption of oral phenylephrine."

The relation added that it would reappraisal the projected bid and taxable comments accordingly.

Producers of the oral remedies - including Kenvue, GSK, Haleon, and Procter & Gamble - person been contacted for comment.

Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, the user healthcare association, said:  “Consumer information is paramount to our members, including those who manufacture products containing phenylephrine.

"We privation to reassure consumers that FDA’s consultation is not relating to a information issue.

"The products connected the marketplace here, containing phenylephrine, are combined with different progressive ingredients to supply the champion imaginable grounds relief.

"These products signifier portion of a well-established cough, acold and flu offering wrong the UK.

"This ensures that these medicines are disposable and easy accessible to let consumers to self-care and dainty these wintertime ailments astatine location astatine a clip erstwhile the NHS is nether a large woody of pressure.

“The mode medicines are licensed and supplied present successful the UK is antithetic to that successful the US and are nether a wholly antithetic legislative system.

"The medicines regulator successful the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is perpetually reviewing the information and efficacy of the products connected the marketplace to guarantee the payment and risks are balanced appropriately.

"Our regulator has intelligibly stated that determination person been nary caller information concerns identified with phenylephrine containing products and radical tin proceed to usage arsenic directed.

“If consumers person questions regarding medicines containing phenylephrine, they tin talk to their assemblage pharmacist, who is highly trained to connection adept accusation and advice.” 

Mark Burdon, PAGB adept and pharmacist based successful Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with 25 years’ acquisition advising section customers astir medicines, said: “We recognize that consumers mightiness beryllium acrophobic oregon confused astir the quality connected phenylephrine (PE) and what this mightiness mean for them and their families, particularly astatine this clip of year, with cough, acold and flu play upon us.

"Nasal decongestants containing PE person been trusted by wellness professionals and consumers for decades and are inactive disposable to assistance dainty symptoms of communal respiratory infections, specified arsenic cough, acold and flu.

“Local pharmacists are highly trained and person a wealthiness of cognition and expertise astir over-the-counter medicines, truthful if you person immoderate questions, talk to your assemblage pharmacist.”

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “Patient information is our apical priority.

"All disposable information is cautiously considered erstwhile authorising immoderate medicine and we proceed to intimately show each medicines for information and effectiveness pursuing authorisation, to guarantee the benefits outweigh immoderate risks.

“There person been nary caller information concerns identified with phenylephrine containing products and radical tin proceed to usage arsenic directed.

“If you person immoderate concerns astir a medicine you are taking, delight question proposal from a healthcare professional.”