Commercial Chinese polyherbal preparation: current status and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Research
• Drug Development and Regulation

Background:

• The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry is modernizing, leading to increased investment and variety in commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations (CCPPs).
• CCPPs are gaining significance in the TCM market, necessitating a comprehensive analysis of their current status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively summarize and analyze the market status of commercial Chinese polyherbal preparations (CCPPs) in China.
• To provide data-driven suggestions for the future research and promotion of CCPPs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of CCPP data from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) drug database.
• Inclusion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2020-2022 and sales data from domestic chain pharmacies.
• Statistical analysis of drug names, manufacturers, dosage forms, ingredient counts, active compounds (CBDs), and treated diseases (ICD-11).

Main Results:

• Over 58,409 CCPP approvals exist in China, encompassing 9,986 varieties from 2,896 companies across 39 dosage forms.
• CCPPs for respiratory diseases show the highest variety and constitute over one-third of chain pharmacy sales; circulatory disease CCPPs have the most published RCTs.
• Commonly used herbs include Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, with prescription complexity ranging from 1 to 90 flavors.

Conclusions:

• Standardization of CCPP approval processes is recommended, alongside promoting the conversion of TCM prescriptions into CCPPs.
• Enhanced supervision of CCPP drug names is advised to differentiate products with identical names but varying formulations.
• Improving the quality of active compounds (CBDs) and optimizing new drug research designs are crucial for CCPP effectiveness, safety, and resource efficiency.