Why carry out this study?

Acute pharyngitis is a common condition that usually recedes spontaneously within a few days, but discomfort can be such that most patients seek treatment.

The efficacy of previous lozenge formulations (white compressed lozenges) containing ambroxol, a secretolytic agent with local anesthetic properties, has been extensively demonstrated for the symptomatic treatment of sore throat.

The current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a new hard-boiled lozenge formulation containing ambroxol 20 mg versus a matched placebo for the relief of sore throat in patients with acute pharyngitis.

What was learned from the study?

Comparable results were observed between treatment groups; the sore throat pain relief was 39% with ambroxol hard-boiled lozenges versus 37% with placebo over the first 3 h of treatment.

This study failed to demonstrate the superiority of the new hard-boiled lozenges containing ambroxol for the treatment of sore throat pain.

Potential explanations for this lack of superiority, including patient noncompliance, analgesic properties of the treatments outside the pharmacological action of ambroxol, and organoleptic characteristics related to hard-boiled versus compressed lozenges, are discussed.