Gefapixant, The New Medicine For Chronic Cough
Gefapixant is a new drug that promises to relieve the symptoms of chronic cough. A rather annoying symptom that disrupts the quality of life of many people around the world. This symptom occurs in people of any age and gender, so both men and women are equally prone to it.
Chronic cough is not always caused by a respiratory infection. There are actually other causes that can cause it, including gastrointestinal causes.
This new drug under study, Gefapixant, could significantly improve the lives of those experiencing the condition. So we need to continue with larger studies and other developments. However, there is hope for those with chronic coughs, even those who have tried multiple medications.
Investigating the Effects of Gefapixant on Chronic Cough
The two most relevant studies published recently report on the effectiveness of the drug. One was larger and performed with a larger number of participants, so the scientific methodology is solid. The other was smaller, but the findings are consistent with the first.
The largest study was recently published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine (Spanish link). It evaluated the administration of 50 milligrams of Gefapixant in 253 patients. The dose lasted for 12 weeks and it improved the chronic cough of 80% of them.
The article reports that there was also a positive effect with a lower dose in a certain group of subjects. With just 7.5 milligrams of Gefapixant, more than 50% of patients reported less coughing.
The smaller study included just 57 people and the results made it into the European Respiratory Journal. They report that the 30 milligram dose was sufficient for cough control.
What is Chronic Cough?
Aside from the medication in question, it’s important to understand what we mean when we say “chronic cough.” It is difficult for those who do not have a chronic cough to imagine the problems caused by this.
Medically speaking, a chronic cough is a cough that lasts longer than six weeks. The attacks are either constant or appear repeatedly at the same time each year. Sometimes there is a pause interval that repeats more or less the same way.
About 5% of the general population will experience a chronic cough at some point in their lives. It may disappear spontaneously after a while or persist despite treatments.
What is certain is that there have been no new drugs to alleviate the condition for decades. The most common causes of chronic cough include:
- respiratory infections
- Gastroesophageal reflux (when it’s severe)
- To smoke
- Heart failure
- Side effects (of medications such as enalapril)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema)
- Environmental pollution
Some types of coughs are not necessarily isolated symptoms. The medical situation may include other symptoms such as epigastralgia, pain in the stomach, heartburn (a burning sensation in the esophagus), wheezing and dyspnea, a lack of air.
The benefits of Gefapixant
Interestingly, this drug was not developed for the chronic cough. In fact , the active ingredient in this drug was initially formulated as a pain reliever.
What happens is that the mechanism of action disrupts the P2X3 receptors of the nerves that regulate cough. The advantage is also that minimal doses are required to achieve the effect. So there are few side effects.
Another advantage is the pharmacological field where the industry wants to position it. This is because it has been a long time since there were innovations in the treatment of cough. This gave rise to all kinds of drugs whose effectiveness is unknown.
We still need further research to continue the path of approval and validation of Gefapixant. The pharmaceutical company behind the discovery is funding the development and they are currently in their third phase trials to obtain certification.
