Clinical Research Directory

Validation of the C-mo System - Cough Monitoring

The goal of this clinical study is to validate C-mo System's ability to automatically detect and characterise cough, in patients over 2 years old with cough as a key or refractory symptom. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Can C-mo System detect cough events? (automatic cough detection) 2. Can C-mo System characterise cough events? (calculation of cough intensity, identification of cough type and presence of wheeze in detected coughs) Participants will be asked to: * Wear the C-mo Wearable device for 24 hours (1 day); * Complete a diary with relevant activities throughout the monitoring period; * Fill-out questionnaires related to coughing frequency and intensity, usability of the device, and impact of cough on quality of life.

Acupressure for Cough in Lung Cancer Survivors

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to examine the effect of an acupressure intervention in alleviating cough and reducing co-occurring symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and fatigue) in patients with lung cancer. The hypotheses are: 1. Acupressure can alleviate cough in lung cancer survivors; 2. Acupressure can reduce a cough-related symptom cluster (dyspnea-cough-fatigue) experienced by lung cancer survivors; 3. Acupressure can reduce the symptom burden and improve the health-related quality of life and functional capacity of lung cancer survivors experiencing cough. Participants will: Receive acupressure for 8 weeks or receive an education booklet; Keep a diary of their acupressure practice and symptoms; Be assessed at baseline (T0), early intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 8 weeks after the intervention period (T3).

Mindfulness-Oriented Respiratory Distress Symptom Intervention for Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality, posing a critical public health challenge in both Hong Kong and global populations. Patients with lung cancer frequently experience a distressing symptom cluster characterized by breathlessness-driven respiratory distress, accompanied by persistent cough and fatigue, which collectively impose a substantial disease burden. While our research team leader previously developed and validated a multi-component Respiratory Distress Symptom Intervention (RDSI) in England, demonstrating clinical efficacy for lung cancer management, its impact on psychological distress (anxiety and depression) proved limited. This limitation may reflect insufficient integration of psychological components, a crucial consideration given the well-established bidirectional relationship between respiratory symptoms and psychological distress. Emerging evidence indicates that mindfulness interventions provide dual therapeutic benefits by improving patient adherence and effectively addressing both physical symptoms, such as breathlessness and fatigue, as well as psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, current evaluation methodologies have mainly focused on behavioral data collection, such as self-reported questionnaires, to reflect the effect before and after the intervention. Neuroimaging data can help understand the brain mechanisms underlying breathlessness and elucidate the effectiveness of interventions, thereby improving intervention strategies.

Efficiency of the "Medidux" Smartphone App for Demission Management in Patients Medicated in Acute Admission Unit (AAU)

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether the use of the medidux™ smartphone app can optimize post-discharge management for patients admitted to Acute Admission Units (AAU) with non-urgent health complaints. This trial includes adult patients (age ≥ 18) in Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage system groups 4 (standard) or 5 (non-urgent), presenting with primary symptoms such as cough, back pain, or abdominal discomfort. The main question it aims to answer is: Can the medidux™ app reduce the incidence of AAU readmissions, emergency hospitalizations, or consultations with other medical providers within 7 days after initial admission? Researchers will compare participants using the medidux™ app (intervention arm) with those receiving standard care (control arm) to observe potential differences in the rates of readmissions, emergency hospitalizations, and medical consultations. Participants will: * use the medidux™ app to monitor their symptoms and vital parameters for 7 days after discharge (intervention arm). * receive follow-up consultations at day 7 and at day 28 to assess symptom progression and any healthcare interactions (both arms).

Efficacy of Intramuscular Steroid Injection for Chronic Cough.

The primary goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that injecting steroid intramuscularly is an effective treatment for unexplained chronic cough. This will be achieved through the design of a prospective, placebo-controlled, single-blind, randomized clinical trial in which one group of patients will undergo a steroid injection into the deltoid muscle and the second group will undergo a placebo injection into the deltoid muscle. Data to determine if a clinically significant difference exists between the outcomes of the two groups will be measured by a dichotomous yes/no response to improvement, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, and a visual analogue scale for symptom severity. This will provide the answer to the general question of whether or not the intramuscular injections are clinically effective for patients with unexplained chronic cough. Furthermore, any adverse reactions will be thoroughly documented. If this hypothesized treatment is proven effective, this can greatly improve the care of chronic cough patients by allowing for an evidence-based treatment option and a treatment option that may improve access to care. While the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) injection is typically performed by fellowship trained laryngologists, intramuscular injections could be more widely utilized by general otolaryngologists or providers in other fields of medicine.

Efficacy and Safety of ME-015 (Suplatast Tosilate) in Cough Related to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (COSMIC-IPF)

Orally administered ME-015 (Suplatast Tosilate) has been available on the market as a prescription drug for allergy-related conditions in Japan since 1995 with a good safety and tolerability profile. There is preclinical and exploratory clinical evidence suggesting that ME-015 may be effective in treating cough caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF cough). 80% of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are affected by a devastating dry cough that is often not responsive to standard cough treatments and causes significant psychological and physiological suffering as well as reduced quality of life. As of November 2024, there is no approved treatment for IPF cough. There is an enormous unmet clinical need for an effective, safe and well-tolerated oral treatment; particularly as approved antifibrotic treatments (pirfenidone and nintedanib) have not been shown to reduce cough in controlled clinical trials. The COSMIC-IPF Phase 2a trial is the first clinical trial assessing ME-015 (an NCE outside of Japan) for the treatment of IPF cough and aims to generate clinical proof-of-concept results regarding the safety and efficacy of ME-015 in this condition.