Positive findings for Refractory Chronic Cough sufferers from Trevi Therapeutic’s Phase 2a RIVER Trial of Haduvio

Trevi Therapeutics Inc has announced positive topline results from its Phase 2a RIVER trial of Haduvio for the treatment of patients with refractory chronic cough (RCC). Haduvio met the primary endpoint with a statistically-significant reduction in the objective 24-hour cough frequency of 67% from baseline and 57% on a placebo-adjusted basis (p<0.0001).

Trevi Therapeutics Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing the investigational therapy Haduvio™ (oral nalbuphine ER) for the treatment of chronic cough in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and refractory chronic cough (RCC),

The VitaloJAK™ was used to provide objective cough counts for this study. Vitalograph’s expert team of cough analysts and the highly consistent performance of the VitaloJAK continue to provide industry-leading objective cough data across different disease areas. 

As reported by Trevi Therapeutics, Inc. March 10, 2025

The Phase 2a Refractory Chronic Cough Improvement Via Nalbuphine ER (RIVER) trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-treatment, two-period, crossover study designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Haduvio for the treatment of patients with RCC. Each treatment period lasted 21 days, separated by a 21-day washout period. During the Haduvio treatment period, patients were titrated with assessments at 27 mg twice daily (BID), 54 mg BID and 108 mg BID, with objective cough and other assessments at each dose. The primary endpoint of the trial was the mean change in 24-hour cough frequency, as determined by an objective cough monitor, for the full analysis set (FAS) population at Day 21. The FAS population included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug and have objective cough count data on both Baseline and Day 21 in at least one treatment period.

Primary Endpoint

Change from Baseline in 24-hour Cough Frequency at Day 21     

Haduvio 108 mg BID

-67 %

Placebo BID

-10 %

Difference from placebo     

57% (p<0.0001)

Additional Endpoints

  • Haduvio demonstrated a statistically-significant reduction in 24-hour cough frequency of 66% in the severe cough (20+ coughs/hour) subgroup (p<0.0001) and 68% in the moderate cough (10-19 coughs/hour) subgroup (p<0.0001).

  • 84% of Haduvio patients had at least a 30% reduction in 24-hour cough frequency vs. baseline, as compared to 29% of placebo patients, a difference of 55% (p<0.0001).

  • A statistically-significant reduction in 24-hour cough frequency, as measured by an objective cough monitor, was seen as early as Day 7 (27 mg BID) for patients on Haduvio (p<0.0001).

  • Patients on Haduvio experienced a statistically-significant improvement in patient reported outcomes compared to placebo as early as Day 7 (27 mg BID) in the Cough Severity Visual Analog Scale and the Patient-Reported Cough Frequency.

  • The safety results of the trial were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Haduvio from previous trials. The most common adverse events experienced included: constipation, nausea, somnolence, headache, dizziness, and fatigue and there were no treatment emergent serious adverse events.

About Refractory Chronic Cough (RCC)
Refractory chronic cough has no approved therapies in the U.S. and is defined as a persistent cough lasting >8 weeks despite treatment for an underlying condition (i.e., asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, and upper airway cough syndrome or post-nasal drip) and includes unexplained chronic cough. RCC affects ~2-3 million patients in the U.S. and is caused by cough reflex hypersensitivity in both the central and peripheral nerves. It is a highly debilitating disease and accompanied by a wide range of complications, ranging from urinary incontinence in females to sleep disruption and social embarrassment that causes significant social and economic burdens for patients and those around them. 

Reproduced with kind permission of Trevi Therapeutics Inc.

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