(Source: China Daily)

TCM product approved for sale in Singapore

By Zhang Yu in Shijiazhuang | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-05-07 15:56

Lianhua Qingwen, a recommended medicine for treating patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms, has been approved as a Chinese proprietary medicine by the Health Sciences Authority in Singapore.

The designation means the product can be sold in the country as a medicine, the drug's manufacturer said on Wednesday.

Made by Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co, in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, the medicine meets Singapore's standards for registration as a Chinese patent medicine, it said.

The capsule, a traditional Chinese medicine used in the treatment of influenza, has been approved for sale as a medicine, food supplement or natural health product in a dozen countries and regions, including Brazil, Romania, Thailand and Ecuador. It can also be sold in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Applications for registration in more countries are underway, including countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, the company said.

Lianhua Qingwen was recommended in four versions of a treatment plan from the National Health Commission for treating COVID-19, the pneumonia associated with the novel coronavirus.

On April 12, the National Medical Products Administration approved adding mild symptoms of COVID-19 as indications for which Lianhua Qingwen is effective.

"Our experiments found that Lianhua Qingwen capsules can help repair cell damage and reduce inflammation caused by the virus," China's top respiratory expert, Zhong Nanshan, said on Monday during a video conference with Chinese students studying abroad.

He also said the capsule has some inhibitory effects on the coronavirus, but the effect was weak.

The capsules can help improve symptoms like general malaise and fever at a relatively fast pace and is especially effective for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms, Zhong said.