New drug can be a 'game changer' for people with chronic cough, proves trial

A new drug named "Gefapixant" has been tested to treat severe or persistent cough, which could be a "game changer" for thousands of Britons suffering from it.

To understand the concept of chronic cough, a lung specialist explained it as a cough that lasts for more than eight weeks. Thousands of people suffer from asthma or other conditions that affect their breathing.

In the UK, between four per cent and 12 per cent of people suffer from it. A leading doctor in the UK, Surinder Birring, led a global trial that found that "Gefapixant" reduces chronic coughing in nearly 60 to 70 per cent of people. Birring was the chief investigator for the international trial, which was conducted in 17 to 20 countries, including the UK, and involved nearly 2,000 individuals.

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In a conversation with the Guardian, Birring said, "If Gefapixant becomes available, it could be a game-changer in respiratory medicine." He further added that it is a very effective treatment and will work for most patients.

Birring said that since "Gefapixant" is the first new drug that has been approved in over 50 years, there's a high possibility that thousands of people will be suitable for this treatment.

For the trial, every day, individuals were given 15 mgto 45 mgtwice daily. The researchers found that giving 45 mgto people brought a major reduction in cough. The results of the trials were published in the Lancet.

However, in contrast, over half of the patients found that their taste ability was either affected or disappeared when they were consuming the drug.

Birring later said that most of the individuals later believed that these side effects are worth paying for as they are now relieved from coughing and not just that, people are now able to sleep better than they used to when they were coughing.

(With inputs from agencies)

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