Top Line: Benzydamine–not commercially available in the US–is a topical NSAID with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and local anesthetic properties: all perfect in theory for radiation mucositis.
The Study:A small pilot trial randomized 35 patients experiencing grade 1-2 oral mucositis during head and neck radiation to standard supportive care versus benzydamine oral spray 0.15% at 4–8 sprays delivered 4–6x daily for up to 6 weeks. The primary endpoint of grade 3+ mucositis over those 6 weeks occurred in 71% with standard care versus only 11% with benzydamine (OR 0.052, p<0.001) with longitudinal analysis showing a clear picture of slower mucositis progression.The benefit emerged around week 3 and persisted through week 6. This is clearly a small unblinded trial, but it supports the concept that benzydamine may do more than numb the mouth: it may interrupt several components of the inflammatory cascade that works to snowball early erythema/soreness into ulcerative grade 3–4 mucositis.
TBL: Benzydamine oral spray is an interesting supportive-care intervention worthy of further investigation and possibly a US market. | Sakour, Adv Radiat Oncol 2026
The Study:A small pilot trial randomized 35 patients experiencing grade 1-2 oral mucositis during head and neck radiation to standard supportive care versus benzydamine oral spray 0.15% at 4–8 sprays delivered 4–6x daily for up to 6 weeks. The primary endpoint of grade 3+ mucositis over those 6 weeks occurred in 71% with standard care versus only 11% with benzydamine (OR 0.052, p<0.001) with longitudinal analysis showing a clear picture of slower mucositis progression.The benefit emerged around week 3 and persisted through week 6. This is clearly a small unblinded trial, but it supports the concept that benzydamine may do more than numb the mouth: it may interrupt several components of the inflammatory cascade that works to snowball early erythema/soreness into ulcerative grade 3–4 mucositis.
TBL: Benzydamine oral spray is an interesting supportive-care intervention worthy of further investigation and possibly a US market. | Sakour, Adv Radiat Oncol 2026