A Practical Comprehensive Approach to Chinese Medicine Research

Abstract

Chinese Medicinal Research has the tradition of confinement to the laboratories where issues like safety, extraction, phytochemistry, pharmacology, active components and other concerns of authentication are explored and answers sought. The results thus obtained could be exciting, but quite often, they carry little clinical value.

Laboratory research would undoubtedly continue because of some obvious impressive results. Modem examples include productions from the plant periwinkle, and the antimalarial ‘qinghao.’

While clinical studies were not scanty in journals published in China, they were found to be too frequently ignoring the principles of good clinical practice, and not many such studies were designed with evidence-based understanding.

A new innovative comprehensive approach is being recommended. The Chinese method, or drug to be tried, is selected on the basis of need (where modem medicine failed to offer perfect healing) and efficacy (where recorded experience has already proven its clinical effectiveness). Such efficacy driven clinical trials could be designed according to the strict evidence-based principles and started on volunteers or patients who give absolute consent for the trial. This approach ensures rapid progress, which goes side by side with other laboratory studies on authentication and extraction. Favorable clinical results will give sufficient confidence to proceed to drug development.