Efficacy of brompheniramine maleate for the treatment of rhinovirus colds

We tested the efficacy of brompheniramine maleate in a large randomized, controlled trial of volunteers with experimental rhinovirus colds. Brompheniramine (12 mg) or placebo was administered at 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. for less than or equal to 4 days after the onset of symptoms (24, 36, or 48 hours after virus challenge). During the first 3 days of treatment (the first 4 days after virus challenge), nasal secretion weights were lower for infected evaluable subjects receiving brompheniramine (n = 113) than for controls (day 1: 4.3 g vs. 6.8 g; day 2: 4.8 g vs. 7.7 g; and day 3: 3.3 g vs. 5.3 g) (P less than or equal to .03), as were rhinorrhea scores (day 1: 0.6 vs. 0.8; day 2: 0.5 vs. 0.8; and day 3: 0.3 vs. 0.5) (P < .03), sneeze counts (day 1: 1.8 vs. 3.6; day 2: 2.1 vs. 5.1; and day 3: 1.3 vs. 3.3) (P < .001), and sneeze severity scores (day 1: 0.3 vs. 0.6; day 2: 0.25 vs. 0.7; and day 3: 0.2 vs. 0.4) (P < .001) (n = 112). Cough counts were lower after day 1 of treatment for the brompheniramine group than for controls (4.7 vs. 7.9) (P = .05) (day 2 after virus challenge), and other symptoms were modestly reduced or were unaffected in the brompheniramine group. Total symptom scores were also lower for the brompheniramine group than for controls on treatment days 1 (4.8 vs. 6.0) (P = .03) and 2 (4.1 vs. 5.6) (days 2 and 3 after virus challenge) (P = .003). Treatment with brompheniramine was associated with the adverse effects of somnolence (n = 3) and confusion (n = 1). Brompheniramine was efficacious treatment for the sneezing, rhinorrhea, and cough associated with rhinovirus colds.