The FDA recommended halting the use of common decongestants in cold medicines, which could affect companies such as GSK (US).

The US Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it had proposed to remove oral phenylephrine, a common ingredient in cough and cold syrups, from the list of active ingredients in over-the-counter nasal decongestants and called it ineffective. The ingredient is widely used in various over-the-counter flu and cold medicines, including popular products such as Benadryl, Advil and Tylenol, and is also a component in nasal sprays for treating nasal congestion. However, the FDA's action only involves oral administration of phenylephrine, not nasal sprays.