Mepolizumab for the Treatment of Chronic Cough With Eosinophilic Airways Diseases
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Cough is the most common presenting symptom to family physician. Chronic Cough affects
approximately 10-12% of the general population and is one of the commonest reasons for
referral to secondary care. Unfortunately, there are no licensed treatments for this
debilitating condition, which is associated with a poor quality of life, affecting the
social, physical and psychological well-being of patients.
The aim of this single-centre proof-of-concept study is to investigate whether mepolizumab
reduces objective cough frequency in patients with eosinophilic asthma and non-asthmatic
eosinophilic bronchitis presenting with chronic cough. Secondary outcomes including the
effects on quality of life, the intensity of irritant sensations, airway hyper-reactivity and
inflammatory cells and their progenitors will also be evaluated.
The investigators hypothesize that in patients with asthma and non-asthmatic eosinophilic
bronchitis, eosinophils are involved in sensitizing airway nerves and thereby increasing
spontaneous objective coughs. The investigators predict that treatment with mepolizumab will
reduce airway eosinophilia in patients with chronic cough due to eosinophilic asthma and
non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, thereby causing a reduction in objective cough
frequency.