A group of Vietnamese scientists has developed a hard capsule, TD0069, made from herbal ingredients, which is considered the first traditional medicine approved by health authorities for the treatment of Covid-19.
On April 25, the Institute of Ethnomedicine in Ho Chi Minh City collaborated with the city’s Traditional Medicine Association and several other organizations to announce this information based on the results of a study titled “Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Controlled Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Hard Capsule TD0069 in Treating Mild and Moderate Covid-19 Patients.” The findings were also published in several journals indexed in Scopus by Wiley Publishing.
Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Truyen, former Deputy Minister of Health and Chairman of the Council for Drug Registration and Herbal Medicine, stated that at the end of March, the Council reviewed the scientific data and documentation for the product. Following this, they assessed the scientific evidence and recommended that the Ministry of Health grant a license for the distribution of the product as traditional medicine for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
On April 12, the research product known as Hard Capsule TD0069 received approval from the Ministry of Health for use as a medication under the name Sunkovir. The drug was assigned a national registration number under decision number 82/QĐ-YDCT. This is regarded as the first and only traditional medicine product nationwide approved for distribution with indications for Covid-19 to date.
Dr. Truong Thi Ngoc Lan shares research and clinical trial information on traditional medicine on the morning of April 25. (Photo: Ha An).
Representing the research team, Dr. Truong Thi Ngoc Lan, Vice Director of the Institute of Ethnomedicine in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that the hard capsule TD0069 is derived from the herbal remedy “Ginseng Detox Powder,” combined with some research from China. The medication may inhibit the formation of cytokine storms in Covid-19 patients through the mechanisms of action of the active compounds in the drug. Hard capsule TD0069 contains various active ingredients extracted into a concentrated form, such as Bupleurum, Poria, Codonopsis, and others… The concentrated dry extract in the capsule consists of a 600 mg herbal mixture, which can treat symptoms of Covid-19 such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, and loss of smell and taste.
The team conducted clinical trials from December 2021 to September 2022, involving 573 patients, where 381 patients received the TD0069 medication and 192 patients received a placebo (control group) over 14 days, alongside standard treatment for both groups. The results indicated that the TD0069 capsule reduced overall clinical symptoms in Covid-19 patients from the third day of use. Patients taking the TD0069 medication showed a faster symptom resolution rate compared to the placebo group. Specifically, on the seventh day, the symptom resolution rate in the TD0069 group was 53%, while the placebo group was 27%. By day 14, the symptom resolution rate in the TD0069 group reached 90%, compared to 71% in the placebo group.
“This is an encouraging result in the research of traditional medicine serving the treatment of Covid-19, aimed at enhancing healthcare for the public,” Dr. Lan remarked.
