Merck's Gefapixant Drug For Chronic Cough A Step Away From Approval In Europe

(RTTNews) - Drug major Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) announced on Friday that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, has recommended the approval of gefapixant, an investigational, non-narcotic, oral selective P2X3 receptor antagonist, for treating unexplained chronic cough in adults.

The final European Commission decision on gefapixant for marketing authorization is expected later this year after the commission reviews CHMP's recommendation.

In the EU there are no approved therapies for unexplained chronic cough or refractory chronic cough currently.

Gefapixant is an orally administered drug that was approved in Japan and Switzerland for treatment of adults with refractory or unexplained chronic cough under the brand name LYFNUA in 2022.

Chronic cough is estimated to be prevalent in approximately 5 to 10 percent adults globally.

As per the company, patients either do not respond to treatment of underlying conditions such as asthma or gastroesophageal reflux, known as refractory chronic cough or they have no identifiable underlying condition despite a thorough evaluation known as unexplained chronic cough UCC.

In pre-market activity, shares of Merck are trading at $108.91, up 0.41% on the New York Stock Exchange.