Can NAC help you cough up mucus faster? new trial results are in

NCT ID NCT03843541

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Zambon SpA Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This phase 3 trial tested whether the drug N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can thin mucus and make it easier to cough up in adults with respiratory infections like bronchitis or bronchiectasis. About 333 hospitalized patients in China received either NAC, another expectorant (ambroxol), or a placebo for one week. The study found that NAC improved mucus thickness and coughing difficulty compared to placebo.

What this could mean

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

Active substance

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could offer a proven option to help clear mucus and make coughing easier for people with respiratory infections.

What could go wrong

This trial is already completed, so results are known. However, the benefit may be modest and limited to short-term use in hospitalized patients.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

bronchiectasis bronchitis chronic bronchitis chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Cough cystic fibrosis pulmonary emphysema respiratory system disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

ABNORMAL MUCUS SECRETIONS RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASES

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University - Respiration

Zhanjiang, China
Beijing Hospital

Beijing, China
Beijing Tongren Hospital

Beijing, China
Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital

Chengdu, China
China-Japan Friendship Hospital

Beijing, China
Deyang People's Hospital

Deyang, China
First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University

Taiyuan, China
General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University

Yinchuan, China
Inner Mongolia Baogang Hospital

Baotou, China
Inner Mongolia People's Hospital

Hohhot, China
Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital

Pingxiang, China
Jilin Province People's Hospital

Changchun, China
Jinhua city central hospital/Jinhua hospital ,School of Medicine,Zhejiang UNIVERSITY

Jinhua, China
Minhang District Central Hospital

Shanghai, China
Nanchang University-The Second Affiliated Hospital

Nanchang, China
Nanjing First Hospital

Nanjing, China
Peking University Shougang Hospital

Beijing, China
Qingdao Municipal Hospital

Qingdao, China
Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Shanghai, China
Shanghai General Hospital

Shanghai, China
Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital

Shanghai, China
Suining Central Hospital

Suining, China
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University

Chongqing, China
The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University

Changchun, China
The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University

Taiyuan, China
The First People's Hospital of Zigong

Zigong, China
Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University Science and Technology

Wuhan, China
West China Hospital, Sichuan University

Chengdu, China
Wuxi Peoples' Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University

Wuxi, No. 299, Qing Yang Rd., Wuxi City, Jiangsu, China
Wuxi Peoples' Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University

Wuxi, China
Yangzhou First People's Hospital

Yangzhou, China
Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University - Pulmonology

Nanjing, China