Conditions: Pharyngitis
Keywords: pharyngitis swollen throat difficulty swallowing
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 198
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purposes of this study is to demonstrate the analgesic efficacy of flurbiprofen 8.75 mg lozenge compared to its vehicle lozenge and to demonstrate the safety of the flurbiprofen lozenge throughout the course of treating sore throat due to acute pharyngitis.

Detailed description:
Per randomization to the treatments and under double-blind conditions, patients were instructed to suck 1 sugar-based, flavoured flurbiprofen 8.75 mg lozenge or 1 sugar-based, flavoured matching vehicle control/placebo lozenge and remained at the study center for a 2-hour observation period to assess their responses to the study medication during the initial 2-hour post-dose period. Patients were allowed a dose of rescue medication (acetaminophen 650mg), as needed, post-treatment dosing during the study.

After the initial 2 hours in the research center, patients were discharged with an outpatient diary to continue (while awake) to document hourly assessments of Sore Throat Pain Intensity Scale (STPIS), Difficulty Swallowing Scale (DSS), and Swollen Throat Scale (SwoTS) through 24 hours. They used the assigned lozenges as needed every 3-6 hours, up to 5 lozenges over 24 hours. A Follow-Up Visit was conducted for the 24-hour assessments.

Patients received additional study lozenges for use as needed (up to 5 lozenges per 24 hours) over the following 6 days, rescue medication (acetaminophen 650 mg) and a Diary to document their safety and efficacy assessments immediately before and postdose after each as-needed use of a lozenge for the remaining days in the 7-day treatment period. At the end of the 7-day trial, patients returned to the research center for final assessments, review of adverse events over the week, and discharge from the study.

Arms:
arm 1: Participants were instructed to suck one study (flurbiprofen 8.75 mg) lozenge and efficacy assessments were taken in the clinic. Upon discharge, participants were instructed to use another study medication lozenge every 3-6 hours, up to a total of 5 study lozenges in 24 hours. Following efficacy assessments, participants were again instructed to use study medication lozenge every 3-6 hours, up to a total of 5 study lozenges per day (plus rescue medication if needed) for the remaining time in the 7 day study. arm 2: Participants were instructed to suck one study (placebo) lozenge and efficacy assessments were taken in the clinic. Upon discharge, participants were instructed to use another lozenge every 3-6 hours, up to a total of 5 study lozenges in 24 hours. Following efficacy assessments, participants were again instructed to use a lozenge every 3-6 hours, up to a total of 5 study lozenges per day (plus rescue medication if needed) for the remaining time in the 7 day study.

Interventions: intervention 1: placebo intervention 2: flurbiprofen intervention 3: acetaminophen 650mg
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Sugar-based lozenge flavoured to match the active treatment lozenge. Instructions were to suck one lozenge until gone, every 3-6 hours as needed for sore throat pain. The participant took nothing by mouth except study medication during the first two hours while at the site. For each re-dosing during the remaining time in the study, alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages (e.g., coffee, tea, hot chocolate, caffeinated soft drinks) were not consumed within 1 hour before the participant used a study medication lozenge. intervention 2: Sugar-based, flavoured flurbiprofen 8.75 mg lozenge. Instructions were to suck one lozenge until gone, every 3-6 hours as needed for pain. The participant took nothing by mouth except study medication during the first two hours while at the site. For each re-dosing during the remaining time in the study, alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages (e.g., coffee, tea, hot chocolate, caffeinated soft drinks) were not consumed within 1 hour before the participant used a study medication lozenge. intervention 3: Rescue medication to be taken as needed. Rescue medication was not blinded.

Protocol document: