Could morphine finally silence the hacking cough of IPF?

NCT ID NCT04429516

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether low-dose morphine can reduce chronic coughing in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung-scarring disease. Forty-four participants received either morphine or a placebo for two weeks, then switched after a week off. The goal was to see if morphine lowered cough counts and improved quality of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: morphine sulfate
What this could lead to: If it works, this could provide a new option to ease chronic coughing in people with IPF, improving their daily comfort and quality of life.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 44 participants. Morphine may cause side effects like drowsiness or constipation, and the cough relief might not be better than placebo.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

Contacts and locations

Locations

Royal Brompton Hospital

London, SW3 6NP, United Kingdom

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.