A comparative retrospective study on the efficacy of Azvudine and Lianhua Qingwen capsules combination in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2025.333582Keywords:
Azvudine, Lianhua Qingwen capsules, COVID-19, supportive therapy, respiratory infections, traditional Chinese medicine, acute respiratory failure, therapeutic potentialAbstract
The purpose of this retrospective study is to compare and analyse the efficacy of Azvudine (FNC) and Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) capsules in the treatment of mild and moderate cases of coronavirus infection in China. The combined approach is used to evaluate treatment effectiveness in COVID-19 patients by analysing clinical data and comparing treatment outcomes. The methodology includes an analysis of clinical data and a comparison of treatment outcomes using FNC, LHQW, and their combination (FNC+LHQW) for the treatment of COVID-19 in 307 patients undergoing inpatient care at a hospital in Zibo, China. According to the findings, combination therapy proved effective in treating COVID-19 by integrating antiviral and supportive treatment, compared to monotherapy. The complementary action of these agents facilitates a more rapid reduction in overall inflammation, alleviates symptoms, and shortens recovery time. The combination treatment group demonstrated superior laboratory outcomes, including reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a primary inflammation marker and a decrease in the duration of negative nucleic acid conversion to 7 days. Moreover, the improvement time of chest computed tomography (CT) was significantly shortened in the combined treatment group (p<0.001). The total length of hospitalisation was reduced to 12 days, compared to 14 days in the monotherapy group. These parameters are the principal criteria for evaluating the efficacy of each treatment group. The combination of these drugs is particularly notable, as other treatment methods typically focus on a single aspect of the disease. The study provides valuable insights into the role of combination therapy in clinical practice with regard to COVID-19 management
References
- Pneumonia of unknown cause – China (2020). World Health Organization. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20200107032945/https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown-cause-china/en/
- Pollard, C. A., Morran, M. P., Nestor-Kalinoski, A. L. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic: a global health crisis. Physiological Genomics, 52 (11), 549–557. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00089.2020
- Dobrovanov, O., Dmytriiev, D., Prochotsky, A., Vidiscak, M., Furkova, K. (2023). Pain in COVID-19: Quis est culpa? Electronic Journal of General Medicine, 20 (1), em435. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/12672
- Kochnieva, O., Kotsar, O. (2023). The role of microbial biofilms in the development of respiratory system complications in patients with COVID-19: A literature review. Bulletin Of Medical and Biological Research, 17 (3), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.61751/bmbr.2706-6290.2023.3.40
- Ji, X., Meng, X., Zhu, X., He, Q., Cui, Y. (2022). Research and development of Chinese anti-COVID-19 drugs. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 12 (12), 4271–4286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2022.09.002
- Yao, C.-L., Wei, W.-L., Zhang, J.-Q., Bi, Q.-R., Li, J.-Y., Khan, I. et al. (2022). Traditional Chinese Medicines Against COVID-19. World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 8 (3), 279–313. https://doi.org/10.4103/2311-8571.353502
- Li, J., Zhu, B., Lu, J., Dong, Z., Li, P., Li, W. et al. (2025). Advances in the effectiveness and safety of azvudine treatment: a comprehensive review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1524072
- Turmagambetova, A. S., Alexyuk, P. G., Bogoyavlenskiy, A. P., Zaitseva, I. A., Omirtaeva, E. S., Alexyuk, M. S. et al. (2017). Adjuvant activity of saponins from Kazakhstani plants on the immune responses to subunit influenza vaccine. Archives of Virology, 162 (12), 3817–3826. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-017-3560-5
- Bogoyavlenskiy, A., Zaitseva, I., Alexyuk, P., Alexyuk, M., Omirtaeva, E., Manakbayeva, A. et al. (2023). Naturally Occurring Isorhamnetin Glycosides as Potential Agents Against Influenza Viruses: Antiviral and Molecular Docking Studies. ACS Omega, 8 (50), 48499–48514. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c08407
- Tong, L., Ma, Z., Zhou, Y., Yang, S., Yang, Y., Luo, J. (2023). Combination of Chinese herbal medicine and conventional western medicine for coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1175827
- Zhong, L., Zhao, Z., Peng, X., Zou, J., Yang, S. (2022). Recent advances in small-molecular therapeutics for COVID-19. Precision Clinical Medicine, 5 (4). https://doi.org/10.1093/pcmedi/pbac024
- Dmitrova, E., Smiyan, O., Holubnycha, V., Smiian, K., Bynda, T., Reznychenko, Y. et al. (2021). State of immunity in preschoolers with acute respiratory viral infections associated with adenoid vegetations. Proceedings of the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Medical Sciences, 65 (2), 174–180. https://doi.org/10.25040/ntsh2021.02.17
- Karnitis, E., Pētersone, M., Karnitis, G., Ketners, K. (2022). Determination of the amount of healthcare public funding: the Latvian case. Intellectual Economics, 15 (2), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.13165/IE-21-15-2-06
- Su, H., Wu, G., Zhan, L., Xu, F., Qian, H., Li, Y., Zhu, X. (2022). Exploration of the Mechanism of Lianhua Qingwen in Treating Influenza Virus Pneumonia and New Coronavirus Pneumonia with the Concept of “Different Diseases with the Same Treatment” Based on Network Pharmacology. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5536266
- Zhang, J.-L., Li, Y.-H., Wang, L.-L., Liu, H.-Q., Lu, S.-Y., Liu, Y. et al. (2021). Azvudine is a thymus-homing anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug effective in treating COVID-19 patients. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-021-00835-6
- Mostovyi, S. (2024). Coronary heart disease and dynamics of intracardiac haemodynamics after hospitalisation for COVID-19: Results of a 12-month follow-up study. Bulletin of Medical and Biological Research, 6 (4), 23–33.
- Ariza, S., Gaviria, K., Carriazo, C., Torres, J., Pinto, A. (2024). Post-COVID-19 Functional Status and Physical Health in the Affected Population of the Department of Córdoba, Colombia. Gaceta Médica de Caracas, 132 (2). https://doi.org/10.47307/gmc.2024.132.2.19
- Petersone, M., Ketners, K., Krievins, D. (2021). Integrate health care system performance assessment for value-based health care implementation in Latvia. Research for Rural Development, 36, 122–128. https://doi.org/10.22616/rrd.27.2021.018
- Abu-Zidan, F., Khan, G., Sheek-Hussein, M., Al Suwaidi, A., Idris, K. (2020). Novel coronavirus pandemic: A global health threat. Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20 (2), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.4103/2452-2473.285016
- Smiyan, O., Lyndin, M., Romaniuk, O., Sikora, V., Piddubnyi, A., Yurchenko, A. et al. (2018). The case of undiagnosed immunodeficiency in child from mother with leukemia anamnesis. Interventional Medicine and Applied Science, 10 (4), 216–221. https://doi.org/10.1556/1646.10.2018.46
- Huang, X., Zhou, M.-Y., Cheng, Y., Ye, L., Wang, M.-W., Chen, J. et al. (2021). Opportunities and challenges of traditional Chinese medicine going abroad for COVID-19 treatment. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 41, 259–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2020.06.008
- Beigel, J. H., Tomashek, K. M., Dodd, L. E., Mehta, A. K., Zingman, B. S., Kalil, A. C. et al. (2020). Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 – Final Report. New England Journal of Medicine, 383 (19), 1813–1826. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2007764
- Ilderbayeva, G., Utegenova, A., Ilderbayev, O., Sembaeva, Z., Askarova, G. (2024). Assessment of the Combined Effects of Heavy Metal Cobalt and Sublethal Radiation on the Immune System. Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal, 8 (4), 455–463. https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_316_24
- Lei, S., Chen, X., Wu, J., Duan, X., Men, K. (2022). Small molecules in the treatment of COVID-19. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-01249-8
- Shevchenko, O. A., Holovkova, T. A., Onul, N. M., Kramaryova, Yu. S., Shtepa, O. P., Shchudro, S. A. (2023). Preventive Medicine as a Component of Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Ukrainian Journal of Medicine, Biology and Sports, 8 (1), 258–263. https://doi.org/10.26693/jmbs08.01.258
- Al-kuraishy, H. M., Al-Fakhrany, O. M., Elekhnawy, E., Al-Gareeb, A. I., Alorabi, M., De Waard, M. et al. (2022). Traditional herbs against COVID-19: back to old weapons to combat the new pandemic. European Journal of Medical Research, 27 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00818-5
- Efremov, A. (2024). Psychosomatics: Communication of the Central Nervous System through Connection to Tissues, Organs, and Cells. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, 22 (4), 565–577. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.24.1197
- Lei, Y., Guan, H., Xin, W., Yang, B.-C. (2022). A Meta‐Analysis of 13 Randomized Trials on Traditional Chinese Medicine as Adjunctive Therapy for COVID‐19: Novel Insights into Lianhua Qingwen. BioMed Research International, 2022 (1). https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4133610
- Yermukhanova, L., Buribayeva, Z., Abdikadirova, I., Tursynbekova, A., Kurganbekova, M. (2022). SWOT Analysis and Expert Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Introduction of Healthcare Information Systems in Polyclinics in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 55 (6), 539–548. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.22.360
- Gunawan, V. A., Triyono, E. A. (2024). COVID-19, a self-limiting disease – A case report of a severe COVID-19 pneumonia patient with multiple comorbidities successfully treated without antivirals. Gaceta Médica de Caracas, 132 (1), 182–186. https://doi.org/10.47307/gmc.2024.132.1.18
- Amani, B., Amani, B. (2024). Azvudine versus Paxlovid in COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Reviews in Medical Virology, 34 (4). https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2551
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jingjing Gu, Simansalam Saraswathi, Thamby Sam, Xiufeng Liu

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Our journal abides by the Creative Commons CC BY copyright rights and permissions for open access journals.



