NRICM101
Traditional Chinese medicine formula to target COVID-19
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NRICM101 (Chinese: 清冠一號; pinyin: Qīngguàn yī hào), is a treatment for COVID-19 developed in Taiwan using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), created by the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM), a governmental body of Taiwan.[1] The prescription has gained legal approval in several countries, the first TCM recipe to do so for COVID-19 treatment.[2] In its native Taiwan, the treatment is used in conjunction with vaccinations.[3] Amongst the formulations available are RespireAid from Sun Ten, and COVRelief from Chuang Song Zong.[4][5]
The formula is provided in granule form, which is common for Chinese patent medicine.[6]
Formulation
NRICM101 contains 10 herbal medicinal components,[4][7][8] including:[9]
- 黃芩 (Scutellaria baicalensis root)
- 魚腥草 (Houttuynia cordata, heartleaf)
- 栝蔞實 (Mongolian snakegourd fruit)
- 北板藍根 (Indigowoad root)
- 厚朴 (Magnolia bark)
- 薄荷 (Peppermint herb)
- 荊芥 (Fineleaf nepeta)
- 桑葉 (Mulberry leaf)
- 防風 (Saposhnikovia root)
- 甘草 (Baked liquorice root)
Method of action
Legal status
On 2021 May 18, Taiwan licensed NRICM101 for distribution under emergency access policy.[4][5]
It is licensed as a herbal drug in Singapore, Thailand, and Australia.[10] It is registered as a herbal granule in the Philippines.[10]
It is registered as a dietary supplement or a "health food" in the EU and in Cambodia.[10] It has also obtained licenses for importing into the U.S., the UK, Canada, and South Africa.[10]
Bringing NRICM101 into Argentina is illegal.[11]
NRICM102
In October 2021, a new formula called NRICM102 was released. Five herbs were changed in the new formula. Whereas NRICM101 is intended for mild-and-moderate cases, NRICM102 is intended for severe-to-critical cases, corresponding to score ranges of 1-4 and 5-7 on the WHO Clinical Progression Scale for Covid-19.[12] The NRICM warns that the new formula is only suitable for severe cases and must not be produced and used without the approval of a TCM practitioner.[13]
Studies and efficacy
The NRICM has held press conferences on the results of preclinical and clinical studies involving NRICM101 and NRICM102. Not all results are subsequently published in a peer-reviewed journal, and no high-quality meta-analysis has been done on what little has been published. As a result, it is difficult to draw much conclusion about their efficacy or safety.
