GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc., were hit with a consumer class action on Nov. 10 in Pennsylvania Eastern District Court over the manufacture and sale of over-the-counter decongestants. The suit is part of a wave of cases claiming that phenylephrine, the active ingredient in many common cold medications, is ineffective for treating nasal congestion. The complaint was filed by Barrack, Rodos & Bacine and Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski & Wall. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 2:23-cv-04435, Chamberlain v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.

A spokeswoman for J&J said that, following the company’s separation with Kenvue, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. falls under Kenvue, so J&J was not properly named in the suit.