GAAPP is proud to join forces with leading patient organizations to launch Let’s Talk Cough — a groundbreaking initiative that puts the lived experience of chronic cough at the center of drug development.

Why Chronic Cough Deserves to Be Heard

Chronic cough affects millions of people worldwide, yet its true impact on daily life remains widely underrecognized. For those living with the condition — whether related to asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, allergies, or other underlying causes — chronic cough is more than a symptom. It disrupts sleep, strains relationships, limits activities, and takes a serious toll on mental and physical health.

That’s why the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the COPD Foundation, the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP), and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) have come together to launch Let’s Talk Cough — a joint effort to capture the real-world experiences of people living with chronic cough and use those insights to shape the future of treatment.

What Is the Let’s Talk Cough Initiative?

The Let’s Talk Cough initiative aims to fully describe:

  • The impact of chronic cough on the lives of those affected across many conditions
  • Current management strategies patients use
  • Unmet medical needs that still exist
  • The treatment benefits that matter most to patients

These insights will directly inform the development of new therapies — ensuring that patient priorities, not just clinical endpoints, guide the future of chronic cough care.

GET INVOLVED

Mark Your Calendar: 28 October, 2026

The initiative will culminate in a hybrid, externally-led patient-focused drug development (EL-PFDD) meeting on 28 October, 2026 in Washington, D.C., conducted in parallel with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) PFDD initiative.

This meeting will be streamed live, bringing the global chronic cough community together to share experiences and perspectives directly with FDA staff, researchers, life science companies, and healthcare professionals. A “Voice of the Patient” report will summarize the insights gathered, creating an invaluable resource for everyone working to improve chronic cough care.

SIGN UP NOW

What Is PFDD — and Why Does It Matter?

The Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) initiative, launched by the U.S. FDA in 2013, has helped regulators and researchers understand the lived experience of more than 150 medical conditions to date.

As an externally-led PFDD meeting, Let’s Talk Cough offers a rare opportunity for people with chronic cough to speak directly to the people who research, develop, and regulate targeted medicines. Simply put: patients are the experts on what it’s really like to live with chronic cough — and their voices can help shape new treatments and monitoring approaches.

How to Get Involved

Your experience matters. Here’s how you can participate:

  1. Register to attend the meeting or express interest in participating as a speaker through the official form: Sign up here
  2. Learn more about the initiative and PFDD: aafa.org
  3. Spread the word — share this initiative with your network and help amplify the chronic cough community’s voice.

About the Host Organizations

  • Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) — Founded in 1953, AAFA is the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies and the oldest asthma and allergy patient group in the world.
  • COPD Foundation — A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization created in 2004, dedicated to helping millions live longer, healthier lives by advancing research, advocacy, and awareness to stop COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM lung disease.
  • Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP) — A not-for-profit organization whose mission is to globally support and empower patients with allergies, airways, and atopic diseases by protecting their rights and insisting on the duties of governments, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) — A 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to accelerating research, empowering the community, and transforming care so everyone with pulmonary fibrosis can live a better life.

The Bottom Line

Chronic cough is more than a symptom — it’s a lived experience that deserves to be understood, measured, and treated. Through Let’s Talk Cough, patients finally have a direct line to the FDA, researchers, and drug developers.

Don’t miss your chance to be heard. Sign up today at letstalkcough.org and mark your calendar for October 28, 2026.

Keywords: chronic cough, Let’s Talk Cough, PFDD, patient-focused drug development, GAAPP, AAFA, COPD Foundation, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, FDA, chronic cough treatment, patient voice, EL-PFDD