The company said that if the trial is successful, Verona will work to identify and develop a second generation of compounds with an improved profile.
Verona Pharma CEO Michael Walker said that the start of this clinical trial is an important step in the development of a potential new class of drugs for the treatment of chronic cough.
"Previous work indicates that VRP700 could provide effective relief for cough sufferers without the usual side effects associated with existing drug treatments, Walker said.