In the first clinical trial to demonstrate an effective treatment for constant, disabling cough among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that taking thalidomide significantly reduced the cough and improved quality of life. Results of their study are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Sept. 18, 2012, in an article titled “Thalidomide for the Treatment of Cough in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.”