Who's got the best treatment for chronic cough?

A small Canadian drug maker called Bellus Health is in the midst of developing a potential blockbuster drug to treat chronic cough — and is wrapping up a Phase 2 trial that should demonstrate whether it has a shot at surpassing a rival drug from Merck. The medicine, dubbed BLU-5937, is nothing like common cough syrup, STAT’s Adam Feuerstein writes. Rather, it targets a sensory receptor that triggers airway irritation and the cough reflex.

People with this condition cough about 40 times per hour. Bellus's mid-stage study is trying to reduce that frequency by at least 25-30%, adjusted for placebo. The competitor drug from Merck, called gefapixant, reduced coughs by 37% in a Phase 2 trial. The latter candidate, however, has an unpleasant side effect profile — so if Bellus has a better safety profile, it could elevate the sales potential for the small biotech.