A comparative retrospective study on the efficacy of Azvudine and Lianhua Qingwen capsules combination in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in China

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2025.333582

Keywords:

Azvudine, Lianhua Qingwen capsules, COVID-19, supportive therapy, respiratory infections, traditional Chinese medicine, acute respiratory failure, therapeutic potential

Abstract

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

Author Biographies

Jingjing Gu, AIMST University, Malaysia; The Fourth People’s Hospital of Zibo City

Faculty of Pharmacy

Department of Pharmacy

Simansalam Saraswathi, AIMST University

Faculty of Pharmacy

Thamby Sam, AIMST University

Faculty of Pharmacy

Xiufeng Liu, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Zibo City

Medical Affairs Department

References

  1. 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/
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
A comparative retrospective study on the efficacy of Azvudine and Lianhua Qingwen capsules combination in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in China

Downloads

Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Gu, J., Saraswathi, S., Sam, T., & Liu, X. (2025). A comparative retrospective study on the efficacy of Azvudine and Lianhua Qingwen capsules combination in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in China. ScienceRise: Pharmaceutical Science, (3 (55), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2025.333582

Issue

Section

Pharmaceutical Science