Jump to the main content block
 

National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM)'s clarifications about NRICM101's product quality and dosage instructions for various authorized manufacturers

In response to inquiries regarding NRICM101, the NRICM clarifies the following:

  • NRICM101 is a novel traditional Chinese medicine (known as an herbal medicine in Europe and the United States) developed by the NRICM and the Tri-Service General Hospital (三軍總醫院) to treat and prevent COVID-19. It is manufactured as a concentrated herbal powder under a non-exclusive license by a GMP-authorized pharmaceutical company to meet the needs of the global pandemic.
  • Our information does not apply to illegal or counterfeit products that claim to be NRICM101 (see [our prior announcement] for further details). Our goal is to inform the general public and physicians locally and internationally about the products our institute has authorized.
  • NRICM101's quality control (through bioactivity tests and fingerprint profile analyses) have been based on the research and development of decoctions to treat COVID-19 by the NRICM and Tri-Service General Hospital.
  • Each authorized pharmaceutical manufacturer's product has to undergo our institute's multiple evaluations using high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint profile analyses to confirm its ingredients and antiviral, immunoregulatory biological activities. Passing these tests are required for the authorized manufacturers to obtain their drug manufacturing license, which ensures the consistent quality of NRICM101.
  • NRICM101's biological activity quality control consistents of 3 properties that must all be dose-dependent:
    • Inhibiting the activity of 3CL proteases
    • Blocking the binding of the viral SARS-COV-2 spike protein to the ACE2 receptor
    • Inhibiting the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines
  • One manufacturer has indicated that its product has antioxidant (removal of free radicals) and anti-inflammatory properties based on its own independent research. While we encourage manufacturers' use of these properties to ensure the quality of their products, the NRICM does not consider these to be meaningful indicators for treating COVID-19 and does not use these to monitor NRICM101's quality.
  • Some manufacturers have indicated that their product has higher solubility than that of other manufacturers. Differences in ingredient processing do result in differences in a product's solubility in water and its daily dosages. However, our tests of antiviral and immunoregulatory biological activity have shown that the product's solubility is unrelated to its biological activity. Thus, as long as the daily dosage recommended by the NRICM is followed, all authorized NRICM101 products have the same effect in treating and preventing COVID-19.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, NRICM101 has been sold in the United States, Singapore, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, South Africa, Thailand, and the Philippines. The NRICM has continued to strictly monitor each manufacturer's products. To address the differences in packaging requirements for each manufacturer's product, we have compiled a table of standard doses for each product based on its composition and biological activity analysis results to ensure proper use and comparison by physicians and the general public.
  • The table below shows the daily dosage amount for each GMP-authorized manufacturer for an adult undergoing a complete 10-day NRICM101 treatment, applicable to both mild and severe cases of COVID-19:
  • GMP authorized pharmaceutical manufacturers

    Authorized Trademark

    Drug name

    Efficacy

    (Number of packs for 10-day treatment)

    Daily Dosage recommendation

     (packs)

    Specification

    Quality Verification

    grams/pack

    packs/box

    **Validate daily dosages of the 2 marker components

    Validate at least 5 kinds of biological activities

    Sun Ten (順天堂)

    (Chinese)

    臺灣清冠一號

    (English)

    NRICM101

    RespireAid

    40

    4

    5

    20

    yes

    yes

    Chuang Song Zong (莊松榮)

    COVRelief

    30

    3

    10

    10

    yes

    yes

    Chuan Feng Tang (勸奉堂)

    CoWipe Negatif

    30

    3

    10

    15

    yes

    yes

    Li Kang (立康)

    COFLU REMEDY

    30

    3

    10

    10

    yes

    yes

    Tian-I (天一)

    FORMOSA 1 BREATHE FREE

    60

    6

    10

    30

    yes

    yes

    Han Sheng (漢聖)

    "H.S." RespireFree

    60

    6

    5

    30

    yes

    yes

    Sheng Chang (勝昌)

    "Sheng Chang" Taiwan Qing Guan Yi Hao Extract Granules Subtilae (NRICM101)

    *60

    *6

    *5

    *30

    yes

    yes

    Huato (華陀)

    "Hua To" COV health

    60

    6

    5

    30

    yes

    yes

  • *The domestic version of NRICM101 manufactured by "Sheng Chang" is in bottles, with each bottle 150g.
    The recommended daily dosage is 30g. 2 bottles are needed for the 10-day treatment.
  • **The recommended daily dose of NRICM101 is based on the scientific quantification of the marker components, instead of a fixed ratio between decoction and concentrated powder.
Click Num: