Inhaled alkaline hypertonic divalent salts reduce refractory chronic cough frequency.

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Chronic cough is a challenging condition to treat effectively.
• Inhaled alkaline hypertonic divalent salts (alkaline HDS) are hypothesized to alleviate refractory chronic cough through laryngeal and tracheal hydration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cough suppression efficacy of an alkaline HDS composition (SC001) administered via nasal inhalation.
• To compare the effects of SC001 at pH 8 and pH 9 against a nasal saline control.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory, single-blinded, controlled study involving 12 patients with refractory chronic cough.
• Patients received nasal saline as a control and SC001 (pH 8 or pH 9) using a standardized nasal spray device.
• Continuous monitoring of cough frequency using a digital cough monitor watch over three 1-week periods (baseline, control, active treatment).

Main Results:

• Nasal inhalation of SC001 demonstrated control-adjusted cough rate reduction, with higher efficacy observed at pH 9 (up to 35% reduction) compared to pH 8 (up to 16% reduction).
• The correlation between hourly cough counts and visual analogue scores improved significantly during active treatment.
• No adverse events were reported during the study.

Conclusions:

• Alkaline HDS aerosol, particularly at pH 9, represents a promising therapeutic option for patients suffering from refractory chronic cough.
• Further clinical evaluation of alkaline HDS is warranted to confirm its efficacy and safety profile.