Gingyo Gedokusan vs Oseltamivir for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Influenza and Influenza-like illness : An Open-label Prospective Study
- Author:
Kentaro Iwata
;
Wataru Igarashi
;
Midori Honjo
;
Takashi Nishimoto
;
Kyoko Shinya
;
Akiko Makino
;
Kazuo Mitani
;
Yoshiko Tatsumi
;
Hiroyuki Ninomiya
;
Kumi Higasa
;
Seiichiro Usuki
;
Hiroki Kagawa
;
Daisuke Uchida
;
Kohei Takimoto
;
Rei Suganaga
;
Hiroo Matsuo
;
Yuichiro Oba
;
Mami Horigome
;
Hideaki Oka
;
Goh Ohji
;
Yasuhisa Abe
;
Hiroyuki Yoshida
;
Shohiro Kinoshita
;
Midori Hirai
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:General Medicine
2013;14(1):13-22
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background: Gingyo-gedoku-san (GGGS) is an herbal medicine approved for upper respiratory infections in Japan. We conducted an open-label, multi-center, prospective trial, comparing GGGS with oseltamivir in patients with influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) as a pilot study.
Methods: Subjects were healthy persons aged between 16 and 40, and were enrolled from January 12, 2010 to March 24, 2011. Fifteen patients were enrolled in this trial (8 and 7 for GGGS and oseltamivir, respectively). RT-PCR was positive for pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in 10 patients. The patients were provided with either GGGS or oseltamivir for 5 days. The primary outcome was mortality and/or hospitalization 7 days after the initial diagnosis. Body temperature and other clinical characteristics were also evaluated.
Results: All patients recovered from illness without complication or hospitalization. The mean time to resolve symptoms for the GGGS and oseltamivir groups was 3.9 days and 3.3 days, respectively (p=0.43). The GGGS group appeared to have a smaller symptom score AUC than the oseltamivir group, (p=0.26). Time to recover activity level appeared to be shorter in the GGGS group (p=0.10), with shorter time to recover health status (p=0.02). Sub-group analysis on patients with positive PCR showed similar results between the two groups.
Conclusion: GGGS was associated with symptom improvements resembling oseltamivir for both influenza and ILI. Randomized controlled trials involving larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results.
