title: Over-the-counter cough medicines: New approaches.
abstract: The global market for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in the category cough/cold is enormous amounting to 5.77 billion euro in 2014 (source IMS). Despite this enormous healthcare investment, mainly by direct consumer purchase, evidence for efficacy is poor by modern standards. Because of a lack of new drug development existing OTC medicines are supported by trials of inadequate design. This has led to the claim that cough medicines are inefficacious. Recent developments in measuring cough support some existing agents but investment in modern studies to provide comprehensive proof of efficacy has not happened. The switch from prescription medicine to OTC which has occurred in other markets will not occur in antitussives since novel therapies have yet to be developed. One area, that of herbal derived medicines, has seen innovation because it is less hampered by regulatory constraints.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular & Metabolic Research, HYMS, University of Hull, Castle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, HU16 5JQ, UK. Electronic address: a.h.morice@hull.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alyn H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Morice
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: Antitussives; Cough; Herbal; Over-the-counter; Therapeutics