First-in-class drug for chronic cough shows efficacy

Only the higher dose gave better results than placebo in two parallel phase three trials, investigators report
Medicom Staff writer

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Gefapixant, a first-in-class P2X3 receptor antagonist, is efficacious for chronic cough but only at the higher of two doses tested, trial results show.

Results of two parallel randomised industry-funded placebo-controlled trials, COUGH-1 and COUGH-2, including more than 2000 patients, were presented as at the European Respiratory Society’s 2020 (ERS 2020) virtual international congress this week.

All participants (75% female, 79% Caucasian) had suffered chronic cough that was unexplained or refractory for at least a year (mean duration was over a decade) without substantial abnormalities on chest X-ray.