Camlipixant (BLU-5937): A Comprehensive Clinical and Strategic Analysis of a Best-in-Class P2X3 Antagonist for Refractory Chronic Cough

Executive Summary

Camlipixant, formerly known as BLU-5937, is a late-stage, highly selective P2X3 receptor antagonist under development for the treatment of Refractory Chronic Cough (RCC). RCC represents a significant unmet medical need, characterized by a debilitating, persistent cough for which there are currently no approved therapies in the United States or the European Union.[1] The clinical development program for camlipixant is anchored by the positive results of the Phase IIb SOOTHE trial, which demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful 34% placebo-adjusted reduction in 24-hour cough frequency at the 50 mg and 200 mg twice-daily doses.[3]

The primary competitive advantage and defining characteristic of camlipixant is its exceptional safety and tolerability profile. This is highlighted by a very low incidence of taste-related adverse events (≤6.5%), a key differentiator from the first-generation P2X3 antagonist, gefapixant, which is hampered by high rates of taste disturbance.[3] This superior profile is a direct result of camlipixant's high molecular selectivity for the P2X3 receptor implicated in cough over the P2X2/3 receptor associated with taste.