Relief of sore throat with the anti-inflammatory throat lozenge flurbiprofen 8.75 mg: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of efficacy and safety

In this double-blind study, 301 patients with subjective and objective sign s of sore throat ;were randomly assigned to flurbiprofen 8.75 mg (n=129), f lurbiprofen 12.5 mg (n=43) or placebo (demulcent lozenge without active dru g [n=129]). Efficacy was assessed by changes in subjective rating scales pr imarily after a single dose and also over a 4-day period. Flurbiprofen 8.75 mg was superior to placebo in a number of efficacy parameters, notably thr oat soreness. Throat soreness was significantly reduced after 15 minutes (p <0.05), with effects sustained for at least 2 hours (p<0.05). Multiple dosi ng with flurbiprofen 8.75 mg lozenges continued to provide effective sympto matic relief over the 4-day treatment period. The small sample size was con sidered contributory to the variable results obtained with flurbiprofen 12. 5 mg lozenges, but overall these were not inconsistent with previous trials . Both treatments were tolerated well. Flurbiprofen 8.75 mg lozenges provid e an effective and well tolerated treatment for sore throat.