Comments on: Something To Sneeze At: OTC Cold Meds Don’t Work http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/something-to-sneeze-at-otc-cold-meds-dont-work/ News, Comment and Conversation Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:01:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Garden Fountain Freak http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/something-to-sneeze-at-otc-cold-meds-dont-work/#comment-150293 Garden Fountain Freak Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:18:17 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/something-to-sneeze-at-otc-cold-meds-dont-work/#comment-150293 <strong>Garden Fountain Freak...</strong> And how is it working for you, it has been some time between now and this post, i was just wondering if you are happy with it.... Garden Fountain Freak…

And how is it working for you, it has been some time between now and this post, i was just wondering if you are happy with it….

]]> By: Nathan http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/something-to-sneeze-at-otc-cold-meds-dont-work/#comment-29979 Nathan Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:25:11 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/12/something-to-sneeze-at-otc-cold-meds-dont-work/#comment-29979 This is an interesting problem. Who will run these studies? Who will pay for them? These are medicines that have long ago gone off-patent. So a company is unlikely to sponsor a trial that will also benefit their competitors. The government could "force" them to run a trial but threatening to withdraw the medication from the market, but again, who would the government threaten? There are probably 10 (maybe more?) manufacturers of phenylephrine. Ed, watch the titles. Your article states several times that the existing studies were poorly designed, small, and flawed. Yet your title says that the drugs show no efficacy. In reality, 7 out of 14 (in spite of being poorly designed) do show efficacy. This is an interesting problem. Who will run these studies? Who will pay for them? These are medicines that have long ago gone off-patent. So a company is unlikely to sponsor a trial that will also benefit their competitors. The government could “force” them to run a trial but threatening to withdraw the medication from the market, but again, who would the government threaten? There are probably 10 (maybe more?) manufacturers of phenylephrine.

Ed, watch the titles. Your article states several times that the existing studies were poorly designed, small, and flawed. Yet your title says that the drugs show no efficacy. In reality, 7 out of 14 (in spite of being poorly designed) do show efficacy.

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