Objectives: EA 575 (Prospan) is a herbal medicine containing a dried extract of ivy leaves (drug extract ratio 5-7.5:1; extraction solvent, 30% ethanol). Although widely used for the treatment of cough, there remains a lack of clarity on the effects of EA 575 in children. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of EA 575 in pediatric patients with cough, via a literature review and expert survey.
Methods: A MEDLINE/PubMed database search was performed to identify articles evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of EA 575 in pediatric patients with cough. An online survey of international pediatric cough experts was conducted to gather expert opinion regarding the use of EA 575 for pediatric cough.
Results: Ten controlled clinical trials and nine observational studies were identified. Controlled trials reported improvements in lung function and subjective cough symptoms with EA 575, while observational studies indicated overall favorable efficacy. EA 575 was generally well tolerated, with a low incidence of adverse events in children of all ages, including those aged <1 year. Survey responses from ten experts aligned with findings from the reviewed studies. Most experts agreed that EA 575 may improve quality of life, and highlighted its potential benefits on sleep.
Conclusions: EA 575 has minimal side effects in pediatric patients with cough, as demonstrated by large, real-world studies. EA 575 may provide clinical benefits in pediatric patients; however, more robust clinical trials are needed to confirm its efficacy.
Keywords: Prospan; child; cough; pediatrics; plant extracts; review; surveys and questionnaires.
EA 575 (Prospan) is a medicine containing a dried extract of ivy leaves that is used to treat coughs. The aim of this review was to evaluate the available published information on the health benefits and side effects of EA 575 in children with coughs. We also conducted a survey of doctors who treat children with coughs. We found information from ten research trials that compared EA 575 with another cough medicine or a “dummy medicine”. Although these studies included only a small number of children, the results suggested that children’s breathing and cough symptoms may improve with EA 575 treatment. We also found nine studies that included children being treated in normal clinical situations and not in a research setting. Most of the children included in these studies and their doctors thought that EA 575 treatment was beneficial. A low number of side effects was reported in children of all ages, including in infants aged <1 year. Survey responses from ten doctors generally agreed with the findings from the research studies. Most of the doctors thought that EA 575 may improve quality of life. Improved sleep was commonly mentioned by doctors. Overall, our findings indicate that EA 575 has minimal side effects in children; we call for more research on the benefits of EA 575 on cough symptoms in children.