Headache drug lacks evidence.(HeadOn)(Product/service evaluation)

"Apply directly to the forehead," commands a TV commercial for HeadOn, a headache pain reliever. The product, which costs about $8 in pharmacies, is not a conventional over-the-counter analgesic.

HeadOn is a topically applied remedy that, like most homeopathic drugs, contains extremely small concentrations of "active ingredients" such as the chemical potassium bichromate and the botanical white bryony, listed on the label as pain relievers. Does it really work? Possibly, if users believe it will work, our headache consultants concluded after reviewing evidence the manufacturer submitted at our request.

The documents purported to show efficacy of its ingredients but included no clinical-trial data involving HeadOn. A company executive said such studies had been conducted but were not yet published and therefore could not be divulged. Without ...