Mechanisms and Clinical Application of Common Oral Chinese Patent Medicines Against Non-small Cell Lung Cancer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Lung cancer tops the disease list in the world due to the high incidence and mortality， and about 85% of lung cancer cases is non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Most NSCLC patients are in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis， with a low 5-year survival. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays a role in the comprehensive treatment of malignant tumors. Oral Chinese patent medicines， as an important part of TCM， have the advantages of stable preparations， mild taste， simple package， and accurate effective ingredients， which are different from decoctions. They have been widely used in the adjuvant treatment of NSCLC. In clinical practice， the combination of oral Chinese patent medicines with chemotherapy， targeted therapy， or radiotherapy， as well as the application of the oral Chinese patent medicines alone， can increase efficiency， reduce toxicity， prolong the survival time of patients， and improve the quality of life. The mechanisms of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of NSCLC mainly include inhibiting the proliferation， invasion， and metastasis of lung cancer cells， promoting the apoptosis of lung cancer cells， inhibiting tumor neovascularization， reversing multidrug resistance， and regulating the immune functions， which reflects the multi-pathway and multi-target manner of TCM. The oral Chinese patent medicines commonly used in the clinical treatment of NSCLC include Jinfukang oral liquid， Shenyi capsules， Pingxiao capsules， Xiao'aiping tablets， Kanglaite capsules， compound Cantharis capsules， Huisheng oral liquid， Yangzheng Xiaoji capsules， Xihuang pills， Zilongjin tablets， and Cinobufagin capsules. There are many clinical and basic studies about the treatment of NSCLC with these medicines， while a systematic review remains to be carried out. Therefore， we systematically reviewed the mechanisms and clinical application of commonly used oral Chinese patent medicines in the adjuvant treatment of NSCLC， aiming to provide reference for follow-up research and clinical treatment.

Clinical Evidence of Oral Chinese Patent Medicines in Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmia： A Scoping Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo review the drug information and research progress on oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia to identify existing problems and provide references for follow-up research. MethodChinese patent medicines against cardiac arrhythmia were retrieved from the three major drug catalogues，Yaozh.com，and relevant guidelines with arrhythmia as the retrieval term. The instructions for included Chinese patent medicines were retrieved through Yaozh.com and specific information was extracted. The research articles on Chinese patent medicines included were retrieved from the five databases，and the information meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria was extracted and displayed in the form of text description and graphs after statistical analysis. ResultSixty-five oral Chinese patent medicines were included in this study，with the main functions of activating the blood and resolving stasis. The average daily cost of medicines was 8.17 yuan，and there were 42 medicines with an average daily cost of less than 10 yuan，showing a moderate medicine cost. A total of 351 research articles on Chinese patent medicines were screened out，including 259 randomized controlled trials （RCTs），16 non-RCTs，eight non-controlled trials，62 systematic reviews，two guidelines，and two expert consensuses. Eighteen types of Chinese patent medicines were involved，whose clinical trials had been conducted in 28 provinces，cities，autonomous regions，and municipalities in China. Wenxin granules and Shensong Yangxin capsules were the top medicines under investigation，accounting for 75.21% of all research articles. Among the included studies，the most common comparison design was Chinese patent medicine combined with western medicine vs western medicine （64.25%）. The outcome evaluation was mainly based on clinical efficacy，symptom efficacy，arrhythmia efficacy，adverse reactions，and heart rate changes. ConclusionThe number of clinical studies of oral Chinese patent medicines against cardiac arrhythmia varies greatly，but traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation thinking is less considered in practical application. Due to unstandardized clinical research and low-quality literature，further advancement is required in the future.

Network Meta-analysis of oral Chinese patent medicines in treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of eight oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) by network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) on the treatment of AECOPD with eight oral Chinese patent medicines was retrieved from databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, and Cochrane Library from database inception to August 6, 2022. The information was extracted from the included literature and the quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. The data were analyzed using Stata SE 15.1 and ADDIS 1.16.8 software. Finally, 53 RCTs were included, with 5 289 patients involved, including 2 652 patients in the experimental group and 2 637 patients in the control group. Network Meta-analysis showed that Lianhua Qingwen Capsules+conventional western medicine were optimal in improving clinical effective rate, Shufeng Jiedu Capsules+conventional western medicine in improving FEV1/FVC, Qingqi Huatan Pills+conventional western medicine in improving FEV1%pred, Feilike Mixture(Capsules)+conventional western medicine in improving PaO_2, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules+conventional western medicine in reducing PaCO_2, and Qingqi Huatan Pills+conventional western medicine in reducing C-reactive protein(CRP). In terms of safety, most of them were gastrointestinal symptoms, and no serious adverse reactions were reported. When the clinical effective rate was taken as the comprehensive index of efficacy evaluation, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules+conventional western medicine were the most likely to be the best treatment for AECOPD. There are some limitations in the conclusion of this study. It only provides references for clinical medication.

Clinical Evidence on Treatment of Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases with Oral Chinese Patent Medicine： A Scoping Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

This paper aims to systematically retrieve and summarize the clinical evidence on oral Chinese patent medicine in otorhinolaryngology by scoping review and analyze the distribution of the evidence， which is expected to serve as a reference for clinical practice and healthcare decision-making. Seven databases were searched （from inception to March 2022） for the clinical evidence of oral Chinese patent medicine in the prevention and treatment of otorhinolaryngologic diseases， and the distribution of the evidence was discussed. A total of 248 papers from core journals/SCI were included： 238 clinical studies （185 randomized controlled trials， 46 semi-/non-randomized controlled trials， 7 case series studies）， 5 systematic reviews， 4 guidelines/expert consensuses， and 1 pharmacoeconomic study. The papers covered 26 oral Chinese patent medicines and 40 otorhinolaryngological diseases （5 ear diseases， 22 nose diseases， and 13 throat diseases）. The majority of the clinical studies included 100-300 cases. The combination of Chinese patent medicine and western medicine is the common intervention in the experimental group. The outcomes were mainly “cure rate” and improvement of clinical symptoms. Common adverse events were nausea， vomiting， rash， headache， gastrointestinal discomfort， fatigue， etc. In summary， there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence on oral Chinese patent medicine in otorhinolaryngology. In addition， the available studies have such problems as seldom use of recognized outcomes， low quality of clinical studies， and lack of pharmacoeconomic study. In future， efforts should be made to carry out more rigorous primary and secondary research and enhance the pharmacoeconomic evaluation， in a bid to explore the advantages of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of otorhinolaryngologic diseases and promote the more rational allocation and application of health resources.

Clinical Evidence of Oral Chinese Patent Medicine for Ischemic Stroke： A Scoping Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The method of scoping review was used to systematically search and sort out the clinical research of oral Chinese patent medicines for ischemic stroke，to understand the scope of relevant research and the distribution of evidence. Three medical catalogs were manually searched to obtain the oral Chinese patent medicines used for ischemic stroke，and 7 databases were retrieved to obtain the clinical research including these oral Chinese patent medicines. Then the clinical evidence results were visualized by description combined with chart analysis. A total of 68 oral Chinese patent medicines were retrieved，and 1 392 articles were included，with 367 published in core journals， involving 35 oral Chinese patent medicines. The research types included randomized controlled trials，cohort studies，case series，case reports，secondary studies，adverse drug reaction reports，pharmacoeconomic evaluations，drug interactions，consensus or guidelines，non-randomized intervention studies and cross-sectional studies，of which randomized controlled trials had the largest number （283， 77.1%），followed by secondary studies and case series （25， 6.7% for each）. Among the 283 randomized controlled trials，there were 159 clinical studies in the acute phase of ischemic stroke，65 in the non-acute phase，and 59 in the unclear phase. Ten intervention control types and 20 outcome index types were summarized. Among them， the composite outcome index and surrogate outcome index were used 217 times （76.7%） and 245 times （86.6%）， respectively，followed by the degree of neurological impairment （three scales）. Future clinical research of oral Chinese patent medicines for ischemic stroke should clarify the stage of the disease，and the research design should specify the advantages of oral Chinese patent medicines intervening in ischemic stroke. Furthermore， publicly-recognized positive controls should be employed，and important clinical outcome indexes should be selected.

Oral Chinese Patent Medicines for Breast Cancer：A Scoping Review of Clinical Evidence / 中国实验方剂学杂志

To clarify the research progress and existing problems in the clinical research on oral Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of breast cancer. National drug catalogs and databases were searched for oral Chinese patent medicines against breast cancer. Chinese and English databases were searched for clinical trials on oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of breast cancer. The main functions，drug composition，literature basic characteristics，intervention measures， and outcome indicators of Chinese patent medicines were comprehensively analyzed and evaluated by a scoping review based on visual charts. In 68 Chinese patent medicines included，53% of them were potent in activating blood， resolving stasis， tonifying the kidney， and strengthening the spleen. In terms of frequency， the top drugs were Ligustri Lucidi Fructus， Astragali Radix， Moutan Cortex， Poria， and Olibanum，indicating the importance of the therapeutic principles of activating blood， resolving stasis， tonifying the kidney， and strengthening the spleen for breast cancer treatment. In 161 included clinical trials，70.71% of the intervention measures were Chinese patent medicine combined with chemotherapy. Literature studies mainly reported Xihuang pills and Huaier granules，which may be related to the combination of chemotherapy and the inclusion in the medical insurance. The outcome evaluation was mainly based on immune indexes，tumor markers，Karnofsky score，safety report and objective response rate，while the survival time and characteristic outcome indicators of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） were insufficient. The application and research on oral Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of breast cancer have advanced in recent years，but most of the clinical research evidence is not robust，and the evaluation of outcome indicators is not standardized，which needs to be improved.

Oral Chinese Patent Mediciens for Lung Cancer：A Scoping Review of Clinical Evidence / 中国实验方剂学杂志

This scoping review aimed to summarize the application information and clinical studies of oral Chinese patent medicines. The oral Chinese patent medicines in treating lung cancer were screened out by searching pf the drug directory， related guidelines， and medical information websites. The data including functions， application， ingredients， and prices of these medicines were collected. Six public databases were searched with the time interval of establishment to August 22， 2021 for collection of the clinical studies of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of lung cancer. The expert consensuses， systematic reviews， randomized controlled trials， non-randomized controlled trials， and non-controlled trials were selected for analysis. A total of 104 oral Chinese patent medicines were screened out， including 31 capsules， 16 granules， 20 oral liquids， 17 tablets， 17 pills， and 3 ointments， in which altogether 198 herbal medicines were involved. The single-dose prices of 2， 36， and 66 medicines were > CNY 100， CNY 10-100， and < CNY 10， respectively. There were 410 clinical studies associated with 48 oral Chinese patent medicines， which were published from 1986 to 2021. These publications included 1 expert consensus， 21 systematic reviews， 277 randomized controlled trials， 87 non-randomized controlled trials， and 24 non-controlled trials. In the clinical studies， the Chinese patent medicines were usually applied in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The evaluation of primary outcomes focused on 9 indicators including clinical efficacy， quality of life， and incidence of side effects. In conclusion， the oral Chinese patent medicines demonstrated significant advantages in the treatment of lung cancer， and the relevant clinical trials were increasing year by year， with multiple outcome indicators being evaluated. More comprehensive and standardized clinical studies need to be designed for oral Chinese patent medicines in treating lung cancer in the future.

Network Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of oral Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional western medicine in treatment of hypertension / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to systematically evaluate the effect of oral Chinese patent medicines on hypertension with network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials on the treatment of hypertension with oral Chinese patent medicine combined with conventional western medicine were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library(from establishment of the database to August 2021). Two researchers independently screened the articles, extracted the data, and evaluated article quality. Then R 4.1.0 was employed for data analysis. Finally, 195 eligible articles were screened out, involving 22 546 patients and 18 oral Chinese patent medicines. The results of the network Meta-analysis are as follows. In terms of reducing systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP), Xuesaitong, Qiangli Dingxuan Tablets, Songling Xuemaikang Capsules combined with conventional western medicine are superior. In improving blood lipids, the overall effects of Xinmaitong Capsules, Compound Xueshuantong Capsules, Ginkgo Folium preparations, Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules, and Naoxintong Capsules combined with conventional western medicine are outstanding. In terms of regulating endothelial function, Yindan Xinnaotong Soft Capsules, Xinmaitong Capsules, Zhenju Jiangya Tablets, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, Xuesaitong with conventional western medicine have certain advantages. As for the safety, the incidence of adverse reactions of conventional western medicine combined with oral Chinese patent medicines is lower than that of conventional western medicine alone. In summary, compared with conventional western medicine alone, the 18 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of hypertension show advantages in improving blood pressure, blood lipids, and endothelial function. Among them, Xuesaitong, Qiangli Dingxuan Tablets, and Songling Xuemaikang Capsules may be the best oral Chinese patent medicines for lowering blood pressure. The conclusion needs to be further verified by more high-quality studies.

Network Meta-analysis of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children / 中国中药杂志

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children with network Meta-analysis. Computer retrieval was performed for such databases as CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, CBM, PubMed, EMbase and Cochrane Library to screen out randomized controlled trials of oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children from the time of database establishment to September 2020. The included studies were evaluated by the Cochrane Risk Assessment tool. Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used for data statistical analysis. A total of 60 RCTs were included in this study, involving 14 oral Chinese patent medicines. The efficacy ranking based on network Meta-analysis was as follows:(1)in terms of total effective rate, top five Chinese patent medicines in surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feike Granules, Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid and Lanqin Oral Liquid;(2)in terms of antifebrile time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Magan Granules, Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid, Shuanghuang-lian Oral Liquid for children and Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid;(3)in terms of cough disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid and Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid;(4)in terms of rale disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid, Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid for children and Yupingfeng Granules. The results showed that on the basis of the use of Azithromycin, combined administration with oral Chinese patent medicines could improve the overall clinical efficacy in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. However, due to the large differences in the quality and the number of included studies among various therapeutic measures, the ranking results of SUCRA of Chinese patent medicines need to be verified by high-quality multi-center, large-sample, randomized double-blind trials in the future.

Network Meta-analysis of oral Chinese patent medicine for adjuvant treatment of primary liver cancer / 中国中药杂志

Network Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different oral Chinese patent medicines combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) in the treatment of primary liver cancer. Randomized controlled trials of oral Chinese patent medicines for primary liver cancer were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library and EMbase databases from inception to May 2020. According to the Cochrane recommendation standard, the quality of the included articles was evaluated, and the data were analyzed by RevMan, R software and GeMTC software. A total of 10 kinds of oral Chinese patent medicines and 68 RCTs were included. Network Meta-analysis results showed that: as compared with TACE alone, 10 kinds of oral Chinese patent medicines combined with TACE showed advantages in effective rate, 1-year survival rate, 2-year survival rate, KPS score improvement rate and reduced adverse reaction incidence. In the pairwise comparison of oral Chinese patent medicines, the results showed that Cidan Capsules were superior to Jinlong Capsules and Xihuang Pills in 1-year survival rate. According to the probabi-lity ranking results: Shenyi Capsules and Ganfule were more obvious in improving the effective rate; Cidan Capsules and Shenyi Capsules were more effective in improving the 1-year survival rate; Pingxiao Capsules and Shenyi Capsules had better efficacy in improving 2-year survival rate; Huaier Granules and Shenyi Capsules had better efficacy in improving the quality of life; Huisheng Oral Liquid and Ganfule were more effective in reducing the incidence of adverse reactions(such as nausea, vomiting and leukocytosis). The current evidence showed that oral Chinese patent medicine combined with TACE was superior to TACE alone in efficacy and safety. In terms of the effective rate, 1-year survival rate, 2-year survival rate, KPS score improvement rate and reduced adverse reaction incidence, the optimal treatment measures were Shenyi Capsules, Cidan Capsules, Pingxiao Capsules, Huaier Granules and Huisheng Oral Liquid in turn. However, due to the limitations of the research, the current level of evidence is not high, and clear conclusions and evi-dence strength still need to be further verified and improved by high-quality researches.