Chinese herbal medicine launched in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese herbal medicine designed to relieve influenza symptoms such as those of COVID-19 was officially launched in the Philippines on Monday.

According to Philippine Archipelago International Trading Corp. (PAITC) president Olivia Limpe-Aw, the Lianhua Qingwen capsule is the first traditional Chinese medicine registered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the “pharmacological category.”

“This a landmark registration? The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to fore the importance of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) and, in particular, the significant role of Lianhua Qingwen in the treatment of COVID-19,” she noted in a webinar.

Aw added the medicine is now available at selected drugstores in the Philippines, but it will be accessible at more outlets soon.

She said the entry of Lianhua Qingwen in the country “will be a big help to our countrymen.”

AIf thereIs a silver lining to this COVID-19 pandemic, itss the awareness for traditional Chinese medicine and the provision for effective, safe and affordable treatment,s she maintained.

Approval

In August, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines had announced that the FDA had approved the application for registration of Lianhua Qingwen as a “traditional medicine.”

An embassy statement showed the product is manufactured by “one of China’s renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine manufacturers, Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.”

In China, the Lianhua Qingwen capsule is an approved treatment for mild and moderate cases of COVID-19.

Based on Lianhua Qingwen’s certificate for product registration (CPR) issued by the FDA, the medicine “helps remove heat-toxin invasion of the lungs, including symptoms such as fever, aversion to cold, muscle soreness, stuffy and runny nose.”

The product can be procured in the Philippines with a doctor’s prescription.