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Chronic or persistent cough - one lasting more than a month - is a common and often distressing symptom, and represents one of the most frequent problems for which people seek medical care. Causes of chronic cough range from asthma to smoking and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Asthma and chronic bronchitis represents more than 50% of all reported cases [excluding post-nasal drip, also known as Upper Airway Cough Syndrome]
Cough is caused by excessive mucus production and secretion associated with goblet cell (mucous cell) metaplasia. Mucus hypersecretion is:
- Regulated by IL-13 a central inflammatory cytokine
- Common feature of chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and asthma
- Induced by chronic cigarette smoking
Initial Target Indication: Smoking Cessation
"Why do I cough so much when trying to quit smoking?" -- is a common question smokers ask their doctors. Coughing is one of the main symptoms of smoking cessation and for many people it's the main reason for smokers not to quit. Many smokers develop a chronic cough which is exacerbated initially after smoking cessation. It generally occurs within the first two weeks of quitting, an important period of productive cough. Unfortunately, the symptoms of chronic cough are often so severe that many smokers return to smoking to suppress the cough symptoms.
Inverseon is developing INV102 (nadolol) as aid to smoking cessation. The drug has been shown to down regulate IL-13 and the production of mucus in the lung. INV-102 is expected to expedite healing of the airway in smokers and return to ciliated epithelium, leading to decreased cough and mucus production, which in turn leads to increased success rate in quitting. Treatment with INV102 is expected to be initiated prior to quitting allowing for a titration to a full effective dose, and the drug is expected to be used with other approved medications (e.g. Zyban®).
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