The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a traditional medicine widely used in China to treat mild and moderate Covid-19 cases, hailing it as an “important progress” in the entry of traditional Chinese medicine in the country.
“[I]t is our sincere hope that its entrance into the Philippine market will contribute to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in this country and help the patients with mild and moderate symptoms recover,” the Chinese embassy in the Philippines said in a statement released on August 12.
The Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Company-produced Lianhua Qingwen capsule has been listed as a part of the diagnosis and treatment plan for Covid-19 of China’s National Health Commission.
It is being used in 20 Chinese provinces including Hubei, Beijing, and Shanghai and medical institutions like Huoshenshan and Leishenshan.
According to the FDA-released certificate of product registration, the medicine could be used to treat heat-toxin invasion of the lungs, fever, aversion to cold, muscle soreness, and stuffy and runny nose.
The Chinese embassy noted that the Linhua Qingwen capsule has also been approved in Hong Kong, Macau, Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, Mozambique, Romania, Thailand, Ecuador, Singapore, and Laos.
The embassy also reminded consumers to purchase and consume authentic traditional Chinese medicine from qualified pharmaceutical manufacturers only.
The FDA put out an advisory in May, warning the public not to purchase the unregistered version of the capsule, which according to the agency could pose potential health risks if administered.
With 143,749 cases, the Philippines now has the most Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia. Jayziel Khim Budino