Inactive ingredients in drugs may cause allergic reactions

Today, there's a pill for everything. But each pill contains the main drug component along with other compounds that are known as “inactive ingredients” that help stabilize the drug or aid in its absorption, and they can make up more than half of a pill’s mass. Scientists are now suggesting that these inactive ingredients may not be as harmless as you'd think and may cause adverse reactions in individuals who have allergies or intolerances. Gastroenterologist Giovanni Traverso from MIT and his team analysed public database Pillbox, which contains information about over 42,000 oral medications marketed in the US. They found that 38 of the inactive ingredients were reported as causing allergic symptoms in the past, and about 93% of all the oral medications contained at least one potential allergen. This may be a trigger for newer regulations and legislations when it comes to medicine labels.