Can an ancient herbal tonic boost modern immunotherapy against lung cancer?

NCT ID NCT06249854

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 05, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial is testing whether adding the traditional herbal remedy Bojungikki-tang to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can help people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The study includes adults with stage IV disease whose tumors are PD-L1 positive and who have no EGFR or ALK mutations. Researchers will compare the combination against pembrolizumab alone, looking at progression-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Bojungikki-tang (an herbal remedy) combined with pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug)
What this could lead to: If it works, this combination could improve survival and quality of life for people with advanced lung cancer, offering a new integrative treatment strategy.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not be conclusive. The herbal remedy could also interact with immunotherapy or cause side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

non-small cell lung carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Hallym University Medical Center

Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 14068, South Korea
Hanyang University Seoul Hospital

Seoul, 04763, South Korea
Korea University Guro Hospital

Seoul, 08308, South Korea
Kyung Hee University Hospital

Seoul, 02447, South Korea
Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital

Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, 50612, South Korea
Samsung medical center

Seoul, 06351, South Korea
The catholic university of Korea Seoul Saint. Mary's hospital

Seoul, South Korea

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