title: Pharmacologic therapy for cough.
abstract: Cough is the commonest symptom for which patients seek medical care and yet effective, well-tolerated cough medicines remain a significant unmet clinical need. The development of anti-tussive agents has probably been restricted by a number of factors; our understanding of the specific mechanisms evoking cough in different diseases and how this differs from the role of cough as a protective reflex is limited. Also well-validated tools for the assessment of cough have been lacking. These issues have not encouraged investment by the pharmaceutical industry and there have been no new licensed treatments for cough in more than 50 years. This article will use a mechanism-based approach to discuss the clinical evidence for the anti-tussive activity of currently available agents.
authors: Respiratory Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
authors: Emma C
authors: EC
authors: Young
authors: Jaclyn A
authors: JA
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents