The clinical benefits of Chinese patent medicines against COVID-19 based on current evidence

Abstract

The outbreak of emerging infectious pneumonia caused by 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has posed an enormous threat to public health, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have made vast contribution to the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) among Chinese population. As an indispensable part of TCM, Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) are highly valued and critically acclaimed in their campaign to contain and tackle the epidemic, they can achieve considerable effects for both suspected cases under medical observation period, and confirmed individuals with serious underlying diseases or critical conditions. Given this, based on the Guideline on Diagnosis and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China, the present review summarized the basic information, clinical evidence and published literatures of recommended CPMs against COVID-19. The details were thoroughly introduced involving compositions, therapeutic effects, clinical indications, medication history of CPMs and the profiles of corresponding research. With regard to infected patients with different stages and syndrome, the preferable potentials and therapeutic mechanism of CPMs were addressed through the comprehensive collection of relevant literatures and ongoing clinical trials. This study could provide an insight into clinical application and underlying mechanism of recommended CPMs against COVID-19, with the aim to share the Chinese experience in clinical practice and facilitate scientific development of TCM, especially CPMs in the fierce battle of COVID-19. million confirmed cases with COVID-19 worldwide, of these, a total of 277,965 subjects were from the United States [13,14]. According to official release on April 4, 2020 by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, more than 80,000 cases had been confirmed as COVID-19 with 3326 death cases [15]. Currently, the global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to accelerate and escalate, the health-care systems of different countries are beavering away to contain the virus, therefore, there is urgent need to seek for effective or adjuvant therapies with excellent safety profiles against COVID-19 [16-18]. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), 2019-nCoV infected pneumonia was deemed to the category of "Pestilence", and the characteristics of its pathogenesis was "dampness, toxin, stasis and closure" [19,20]. Over the past few months, TCM exhibited remarkable benefits against COVID-19 in China, and it was convinced that TCM achieved satisfactory therapeutic superiority for patients infected by 2019-nCoV with regard to preventive treatment of diseases, comprehensive therapies and rehabilitation by the

Reduning injection combined with western medicine for pneumonia

“…In the treatment of COVID-19, [ 28 ] Reduning injection may be associated with anti-inflammatory and immunoregulation effects of the active ingredients via multiple targets and pathways. [ 6 – 8 , 29 ] Western medicine routine treatment is mainly based on antibiotics and antiviral drugs, such as penicillin, ceftriaxone sodium, amoxicillin, amoxicillin and clavulanate, erythromycin, azithromycin, minocycline, doxycycline, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, interferon, ribavirin, oseltamivir, ganciclovir, and so on. [ 12 – 25 ] There are many Western medicines used in clinical.…”

“…[ 4 ] The new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) that broke out at the end of 2019 is caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). [ 6 – 8 ] As an acute respiratory infectious disease, COVID-19 has been included in Category B infectious diseases as stipulated in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, which is listed as Category A infectious diseases. [ 6 – 8 ]…”

“…[ 5 , 9 – 11 ] In the course of the outbreak of COVID-19, Reduning injection is widely used to treat severe patients with COVID-19 in China, which is also recommended for use in the Guideline on Diagnosis and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Revised 7th version) officially issued by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. [ 6 – 8 ] Western medicine routine treatment mainly uses antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides, and aminoglycosides etc.) [ 12 – 21 ] and antiviral drugs (interferon and ribavirin).…”

Exploring the Mechanisms of Lian Hua Qing Wen Capsule against COVID-19 by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approach

“…There has been no effective antiviral drug to treat COVID-19 until now, even though signi cant efforts are used to develop therapeutic interventions against coronavirus infection [2]. Fortunately, the application of TCM in the auxiliary treatment of COVID-19 has achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects in China [21,22]. LHQW capsule has been recommended for the treatment of patients with mild symptoms in 7th edition of COVID-19 treatment guidelines and widely used in the clinical treatment of COVID-19 in China [23].…”

The therapeutic efficacy of Chinese patent medicine combined with routine western medicine in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

“…The Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibited remarkable benefits against the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of COVID-19. [ 2 ] CPM (including Jinhua Qinggan granule, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebiqing injection) was recommended as the treatment agent in the 7th edition of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Scheme for New Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia”. [ 3 ] There is now evidence that Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine have a significant effect on the treatment of COVID-19.…”