The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines has approved the use of Chinese herbal medicine Lian Hua Qing Wen for treatment of mild and moderate COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases, the Chinese Embassy in Manila announced on Wednesday.
According to the Chinese Embassy, the Lian Hua Qingwen capsule is produced by one of China's renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) manufacturers, Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., making the drug formally registered as TCM in the Philippines.
“This marks an important progress in the entry of TCM products into the Philippine market, which we welcome.,” the Embassy said in a statement.
Lianhua Qingwen capsule is an approved COVID-19 treatment for mild and moderate cases in China and has also been officially in use in Hong Kong and Macao SAR of China, Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, Mozambique, Romania, Thailand, Ecuador, Singapore, and Laos PDR.
“It is our sincere hope that its entrance into the Philippine market will contribute to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in this country and help the patients with mild and moderate symptoms recover,” the Chinese Embassy said.
With the FDA’s approval, the Embassy advises Filipino consumers to purchase and consume authentic TCM produced through qualified pharmaceutical manufacturers, as it expressed hope that the traditional medicine would play a bigger role to support the Philippine government in its fight against COVID-19.
China is also currently developing vaccines for COVID-19 and has promised to prioritize the Philippines once it is ready for commercial distribution and use.