Response to Gefapixant in the Cough Clinic: A Real-world Study

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Gefapixant, a P2X3 antagonist, is licenced for the treatment of chronic cough. Currently, it is only marketed in Japan. We obtained gefapixant under an import licence from the UK MHRA. We report the first real-world experience of gefapixant in the UK. <bold>Methods:</bold> Patients were prescribed 45 mg gefapixant bd for one week. Subjective symptom measures of cough after 1 week of treatment were recorded. <bold>Results:</bold> 12 patients (92% [n=10] female, mean [SD] age 64.4 [10.6]) were included. There were significant improvements in LCQ (11.6 [4.3] vs 16.0 [1.9], p=0.028) and HARQ (39.1 [14.7] vs 21.3 [11.5], p=0.09) after treatment. Numerical rating scale scores for cough frequency, cough intensity, wheeze, breathlessness, and sputum improved (Figure 1). <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA2141/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig> Patients provided qualitative feedback: “I feel more confident going into public places, shops and restaurants knowing that I won’t have a bout of coughing” “The biggest event for me this week was we had company and I got through the afternoon without coughing and felt able to join in the conversation” 3 patients discontinued due to GI upset. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Over half of the patients wished to continue a self-funded prescription of gefapixant at £90 a week. Although numbers are small, changes in PROs are consistent with that seen in RCTs. Patients appear to respond rapidly in multiple aspects of cough. An ERS NeuroCOUGH CRC site