Herbs used for the NRICM101. Herbs used for the NRICM101. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An updated version of Taiwan’s homegrown herbal medicine for COVID-19 has been proven effective in reducing the likelihood of pulmonary injuries while also drastically cutting mortality rates.

The NRICM101 (清冠一號) is used to treat those with mild and moderate symptoms by stopping the virus from replicating and fighting inflammation. The NRICM102 (清冠二號), an updated traditional Chinese therapy, helps inhibit pulmonary embolism and fibrosis, said the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (MOHW) said in a press conference on Thursday (Sept. 8).

The institute has conducted a clinical study to determine how the two formulas fare in bringing down the number of COVID-incurred deaths. Results suggest both the original version and the updated version of the homegrown medicine are promising in reducing death rates, wrote UDN.

The research involved 302 mild and moderate cases and 246 patients that required respirators. The two groups were each divided into two, one receiving herbal therapy plus conventional treatment and the other only Western medicine, during a 30-day period.

In the group with less serious conditions, none of the 151 individuals that took the NRICM101 saw their symptoms worsen, compared to 14 of the other 151, or 9.27%, that turned severe. For the ones under intensive care, 7 of the 123 patients treated with the NRICM102 died (5.69%), while 27 of the other 123 without the intervention of herbal medicine died, or 21.95%.

Meanwhile, Shen Yu-chiang (沈郁強) of the institute said the NRICM102 appears effective in countering the Omicron variants of BA.4 and BA.5, wrote CNA. The formula has been licensed to eight Chinese medicine pharmaceutical companies for mass production.

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