Cough medicines "work" mostly through their sweet tastes and placebo effect, says a new report. The sweet syrups used in most over the counter medicines may contribute to the cough suppressant and expectorant activity, says a review published online in Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology on 2 December.
“The review proposes that the major benefit of cough medicines for treatment of cough associated with common cold is related to the placebo effect rather than the pharmacological effect of an active ingredient,” says the author, Ron Eccles, head of the Common Cold Centre at the University of Cardiff.
What a shock! Pass Insider a chair before he faints! Big Pharma should be encouraged to get rid of these expensive placebos as soon as possible. Such encouragement should be by the Regulatory Authorities, who should be asking for evidence of effectiveness, as with other pharmaceuticals.
Source: BMJ
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