An Australian law firm has filed a class action against global pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing it of selling medicines known to be ineffective.
Lawyers at JGA Saddler allege the company falsely stated medications such as Codral Day and Night, Sudafed PE and Benadryl PE relieve congestion.
The action relates to tablets containing phenylephrine, a substance which the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year declared was not an effective nasal decongestant when taken in tablet form.
Johnson & Johnson’s advertising for Codral Day and Night states, “Phenylephrine helps to relieve blocked and runny noses”.
Similarly, the packaging for Sudafed PE refers to phenylephrine as a “nasal decongestant” and the medication’s website says it “provides fast, powerful relief from sinus pressure and nasal congestion”.
However, Brisbane ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr Jo-Lyn McKenzie said, “The data around phenylephrine is that it’s not effective when it’s taken orally”.
McKenzie said phenylephrine was an effective decongestant when used as a nasal spray.
“It’s incredibly effective when it’s applied inside the nose,” she said.
Dr Mckenzie said the problem with phenylephrine was that it was inactivated when swallowed and didn’t have enough clinical effect.
She said the substance began to be used in cold and flu medication after regulations were introduced to make it harder to buy pseudoephedrine.
In 2006, pseudoephedrine was taken off the shelves and put behind the counter at pharmacies, because it was being used to produce methamphetamine and sold as the drug ice.
When the sale of tablets containing pseudoephedrine was restricted, Johnson & Johnson replaced the ingredient with phenylephrine so they could continue selling the products at pharmacies, supermarkets and petrol stations.
McKenzie said the result was people looking for relief from congestion were choosing ineffective products when better products were available.
“They use that treatment as an alternative to medications that do work,” she said
Read more at RNZ
