Cough Science News
Find all editions of Cough Science News below and get access to the latest cough science developments, publications, and interviews with cough experts.
Find all editions of Cough Science News below and get access to the latest cough science developments, publications, and interviews with cough experts.
This month’s roundup explores placebo effects in RCC trials, the role of interoception in chronic cough, and the cost burden of persistent symptoms, plus insights from Dr. Nadia Giannetti.
New key cough science publications, Actigraph x Hyfe partnership and more
This year marked significant progress in cough monitoring, solidifying cough as a valuable biomarker in diverse therapeutic areas
New findings on refractory chronic cough (RCC), pulmonary tuberculosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Plus latest white papers by Hyfe.
Cough Science News Oct 1 - new studies on cough-related stress urinary incontinence, COVID-19 detection in vaccinated adults, and the effectiveness of anti-reflux surgery for chronic cough. Plus, expert discussions from Hyfe's Cough Science Forum and the latest on FDA regulations for cough monitoring technologies
Cough Science News Oct 1 - new studies on cough-related stress urinary incontinence, COVID-19 detection in vaccinated adults, and the effectiveness of anti-reflux surgery for chronic cough. Plus, expert discussions from Hyfe's Cough Science Forum and the latest on FDA regulations for cough monitoring technologies
Cough Science News, August 2024 - Explore studies on cough variability, acute cough duration, and the cost burden of chronic cough. Plus, discover the world’s most comprehensive collection of cinematic coughs and upcoming events in cough science
CougH Science News July 2024 - latest in cough science. Insights on cough detection algorithms, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma diagnosis from cough sounds, and more. Plus, watch expert discussions and stay updated on upcoming events
Hyfe Cough Science News, June 2024. Latest research on cough in fibrotic ILD, high-dose inhaled corticosteroids for chronic cough, and family physicians’ approaches to managing chronic cough. Plus, insights from leading researchers and upcoming events
Cough Science News May 2024 - studies on cough monitoring for COVID-19 surveillance, the effectiveness of codeine for chronic cough, factors in refractory cough in IPF, and more. Plus, insights from researchers and upcoming events
Hyfe Cough Science News, March 2024 - insights on chronic cough management in the UK, common triggers in cough hypersensitivity, and a review of treatments for refractory cough. Plus, expert Q&A and upcoming cough science events.
Hello!
January turned out to be a very busy month for cough research.
Across different disease areas and study designs, there was a steady stream of publications that, taken together, suggest the field is moving from asking whether cough can be treated or measured effectively, to how best to do it.
What stood out to me was the consistency of the signal. Objective measurement is increasingly central to how trials are designed, how effects are detected, and how results are interpreted. That theme runs through the studies highlighted below, and it’s also why we’re sharing a deeper look at the chronic cough therapeutics pipeline this month.
This randomized phase 2b trial evaluated extended-release nalbuphine in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic cough. Using objective digital cough monitoring, the study showed large, dose-dependent reductions in 24-hour cough frequency over six weeks, with reductions exceeding 60% at the highest dose. Improvements in patient-reported cough frequency were also seen, though less consistently and primarily at higher doses.
Why it matters
First positive phase 2 trial targeting central cough circuits rather than peripheral P2X3 receptors, with 60% objective cough reduction: genuinely impressive numbers! But six weeks tells us the drug works, not whether patients will tolerate nausea and constipation long enough for it to matter in a chronic, progressive disease. The path to approval hinges on demonstrating sustained objective cough reduction and actual durability in longer trials.
This Swiss pilot study used contact-free, smartphone-enabled cough monitoring in 23 patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbations. Objective cough frequency declined from approximately 15 coughs per hour at admission to below 5 coughs per hour during recovery. Cough counts showed significant correlations with clinical markers: inversely with oxygen saturation (p<0.001) and positively with body temperature (p<0.001). A threshold of 16-17 coughs per hour discriminated hypoxemic from non-hypoxemic patients, and the system detected strong diurnal patterns with higher daytime coughing.
Why it matters
The correlation between cough frequency and oxygen saturation suggests cough could serve as an early warning signal for deteriorating patients, the kind of digital biomarker that could enable earlier intervention in home monitoring scenarios before exacerbations require hospitalization.
This comprehensive review examines the complex relationship between GERD and chronic cough, noting that up to 75% of patients with reflux-related cough lack classic heartburn symptoms. The authors outline a structured diagnostic approach including clinical assessment, empiric PPI trials, ambulatory reflux monitoring, and consideration of cough hypersensitivity as an overlapping mechanism. Management follows a stepwise approach: lifestyle modifications and PPIs first, then neuromodulators and behavioral interventions for refractory cases. The review emphasizes that positive reflux testing doesn't reliably predict treatment response, but negative testing has strong negative predictive value.
Why it matters
This review makes explicit what clinicians often experience: reflux-related cough is diagnostically challenging because most patients lack typical GERD symptoms, and the relationship between reflux and cough involves both direct irritation and vagally mediated reflexes amplified by cough hypersensitivity. The structured diagnostic and treatment algorithm provides a practical framework for evaluation, and importantly recognizes that PPI failures may reflect overlapping disorders of brain-larynx interaction requiring behavioral therapy or neuromodulators rather than escalating antireflux therapy.
Featured report
If you're working in chronic cough treatment development, you're probably asking some version of these questions:
Will FDA's new bar post-Gefapixant actually clear the pipeline or just delay timelines? Is there room for multiple winners or will this be a winner-take-most market? What does real differentiation look like when everyone's claiming ~40% cough reduction? And what's the actual role of digital therapeutics - nice-to-have or table stakes for persistence?
We built a 52-page report to answer exactly these questions. It covers regulatory dynamics, pipeline scorecards for all 17 therapeutics in development, competitive positioning scenarios, and why the durability problem will separate winners from footnotes.
The market could reach $15B by 2035, but the path there isn't obvious and most public analyses are missing critical dynamics around specialist access, payer consolidation, and platform lock-inhttps://coughreport.com/
