Emerging drugs in the treatment of chronic cough

Chronic cough is a debilitating condition that is among the most common reasons for seeking medical attention yet remains challenging to manage. Identifying an underlying respiratory, nasal, or upper gastrointestinal disease triggering cough is the first step in assessment, but once this has been ruled out or adequately treated, many patients remain troubled with chronic cough.

This narrative review discusses the role of existing treatments and describes the current research landscape for the development of new therapies for chronic cough greater than 8 weeks that is refractory (RCC) or unexplained (UCC). The literature search includes published studies found on pubmed and conference abstracts until 2023.

RCC/UCC can occur due to neuronal dysregulation of the vagus nerve or central nervous system. Hence, novel anti-tussives have targeted ion channels involved in the neuronal signaling which triggers cough. Although some therapies targeting receptors such as TRPV1 have failed to show efficacy, P2X3 antagonists have emerged as the most promising therapy for patients impacted by chronic cough. Disease-specific therapies such as for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are in early development.