The pharmacology companies are out to make a buck and discover drugs that appear to serve a need. They do expensive clinical studies to establish effectiveness and side-effects. If you read the papers with side-effects information, you will find that they are usually straightforward about the side-effects. A few may have side-effects they did not observe during clinical trials. This is why the FDA has the Adverse Event reporting system. Vioxx was removed from use due to deaths.

http://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/...ourceID=005528

If you think the mechanism of action issue is important, billions follow eastern medicine and have little to no understanding of the true risks and benefits of the many substances used. They also have little to no understanding of the mechanism of action. But, they use the 'it's from nature' concept to justify use. Hemlock is from nature.

Many drugs started with an attempt to synthesize a naturally occurring compound. SSRI's were an attempt to make something that works like St John's Wort . They do not know the mechanism of action of St John's Wort but know the benefit so they try to make something that has similar chemical properties.

Doozer, They have discovered many of the reasons/malfunctions that contribute to prolonged brain injury but they struggle to find a drug that will
resolve that malfunction. They have found some drug therapies that slow or reduce or even prevent the cascade of PCS and other brain injury problems but these treatments must be started in the first few hours. When 85% recover without any intervention, it is hard to justify treating everyone in hopes of reducing the 15%, especially when the treatment costs a few thousand dollars or more.

Many concussions that cause lasting symptoms are never seen in the ER/A&E until days after the original event, well past the treatment window. Only 2 of my 14 concussions were diagnose by a doctor. In one, I was taken to the ER in an unconscious state. In the other, I took myself to the ER because I needed to document the injuries from an assault.

I met a young man who was injured by a forklift falling on him in 2006 and causing the amputation of his leg. They did not recognize the symptoms of a brain injury until just recently.

One concussion specialist has encouraged ER doctors to list IDC code 850.9 (Concussion, unspecified) in the medical record any time there is a possibility of a head impact even when there are no indications of a concussion so that doctors can understand a cause if symptoms manifest later.

They have found some drugs that reduce symptoms but they do not cause healing. As soon as the drug is stopped, the symptoms return.

It is a complex issue with a complex set of needs.