Smokers trying to quit their habit are often motivated by the promise of shaking off their horrible, hacking cough, but in a cruel twist, in the early days off the fags they find their cough gets worse.

However, local drug developer Invion may have uncovered a breakthrough for aspiring quitters. Interim data for its early clinical trial successfully showed that the drug nadalol reduced markers of inflammation of the lungs that is associated with the rattly cough.