Ancient herbal mix put to the test against COVID-19
NCT ID NCT05787327
First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a traditional Chinese herbal formula, Yinqiaosan-Maxingganshitang, can help people with mild to moderate COVID-19 recover faster. About 96 adults who tested positive and have had symptoms for no more than 72 hours will receive either the herbal granules or a placebo. The study is conducted remotely via telemedicine, and the main goal is to see how quickly fever returns to normal.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a traditional Chinese herbal formula called Yinqiaosan-Maxingganshitang
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this herbal formula could offer a widely available, low-cost option to reduce fever and other symptoms in mild to moderate COVID-19.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial. Herbal formulas can vary in quality and may interact with other medications. The placebo effect is also possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2023
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age from 18 to 65 years; * Tested positive for COVID-19 by RATs, Deep Throat Saliva (DTS) or Throat/Nasal swab RT-PCR tests; * Patient diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19 based on the "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines" published by National Institutes of Health; * Duration of symptoms ≤ 72 hours (Start from the presence of the major symptoms of COVID-19: Fever: oral temperature \>37.2°C, or cough score ≥2, or fatigue score ≥2); * Diagnosed with pattern of wind and heat invading the surface and/or pattern of intense exuberance of lung heat by a registered Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) (Diagnostic criteria are the corresponding criteria in the "Diagnosis standards for common syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine)" published by "Diagnostic Subcommittee of China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2008, with ≥20 as the threshold for determination); * Explicit declaration of willingness to participate in the study at the time of videoconference screening after reading the electronic informed consent form (written consent form have to signed after inclusion). Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed of Asymptomatic or Presymptomatic Infection, Severe Illness or Critical Illness of COVID-19 based on the "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines" published by National Institutes of Health * Known allergy to the Chinese medicines or other ingredients of the investigational medicinal products (IMP) used in this study; * Known pregnancy or lactation; * Known immunocompromised patient (such as malignancy, organ or bone marrow transplant, AIDS or low immune function caused by long-term use of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants) * Known obesity (Body Mass Index \[BMI\] ≥30) * Heavy smoker (≥400 cigarettes/year) * Known history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (including hypertension), chronic lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moderate and severe asthma or interstitial lung disease), diabetes, chronic liver disease (ALT/AST ≥ 2× the upper limit of normal \[ULN\], Bilirubin-Total ≥ 1.5ULN), chronic kidney disease (Creatinine ≥1.5ULN), cancer or other chronic diseases. * Known history of dysphagia or any gastrointestinal disorder that affects drug absorption (such as gastroesophageal reflux disease \[GERD\], chronic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal tuberculosis, gastrinoma, short bowel syndrome, gastrectomy); * Suspected or known history of alcohol or substance abuse or mental illness; * Subjects having participated in other clinical studies in the past three months; * Any other condition that in the opinion of the investigators could compromise the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- When the immune system Can't fight back: tracking three respiratory viruses
- The household maze: how does COVID-19 move between family members?
- Can an oral drug stop COVID-19 from turning deadly?
- Can COVID-19 rapid tests slip into HIV and TB clinics without disrupting care?