The agency made the proposal after finding that the ingredient, known as oral phenylephrine, doesn’t relieve stuffy noses.

(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed to remove oral phenylephrine, widely used in cold and cough syrups, as an active ingredient in over-the-counter drugs for nasal congestion,

The US Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal to remove oral phenylephrine – a common ingredient in many popular over-the-counter decongestants – from the market, citing evidence that it doesn’t work.

After what the agency called a thorough review of the data, the Food and Drug Administration has proposed ending the use of an ingredient of many cold and allergy medications because it doesn't work.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to officially remove a popular ingredient in many cold and allergy medications – oral phenylephrine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to remove from the market a common ingredient found in most oral over-the-counter cold medicines because it doesn’t work. The move brings FDA one step closer to getting products containing oral phenylephrine pulled from stores.