On December 13, 2020, the paper of the team led by Yang Zifeng, a researcher with the SKLRD, “Lianhuaqingwen exerts anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity against novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)” was selected by the well-known journal “Pharmacological Research” as one of the Best Research Articles published in the journal in 2019/2020. The paper is the first basic research paper on the fighting of the COVID-19 with Chinese medicine, which has been cited 90 times since it was published online on May 20 and won recognition from the international medical community.

This paper shows that LH can inhibit the virus titer of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the intracellular virions, and significantly lower the mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1 and IP-10 inflammatory factors. As can be seen, LH exerts anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity against the novel coronavirus. These findings have provided a basis for the clinical study of LH treatment of the COVID-19.

On this basis, academicians Zhong Nanshan, Zhang Boli and Li Lanjuan and other clinical experts of Chinese and Western medicines worked with 20-plus designated hospitals for the patients of COVID-19 to launch a “far-reaching, random, controlled and multi-center clinical research on the treatment of the novel coronavirus with Chinese medicine Lianhuaqingwen capsule”. The results showed that 14 days after oral administration of LH, it could significantly increase the improvement rate of symptoms of the COVID-19 patients such as fever, fatigue and cough, obviously improve the pulmonary imaging changes, shorten the duration of symptoms, improve the clinical cure rate and prevent the deterioration of the COVID-19 patients’ conditions and ultimately improve their clinical outcome. These findings have been published in “Phytomedicine”, a journal of the first zone (the SCI journal zoning by Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2020) in the community of Phytomedicine. The research is the first randomized and controlled clinical study of the treatment of the COVID-19 with Chinese medicine, which is a milestone in the fighting of the COVID-19 with Chinese medicine.

Based on the above exact basic and clinical research evidences, on April 12, the State Drug Administration approved the increase of the new indications for the treatment of “light and common types of the COVID-19” on the basis of the original approved indications of LH capsule (granule).

Chinese medicine has played an important role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out at the forum of experts and scholars on June 2, 2020 that “The combination and application of Chinese and Western medicines is a major feature of the pandemic prevention and control effort, as well as a vivid practice of Chinese medicine in carrying on its essence and making innovation”. Meanwhile, it is also a glorious mission of all scientific workers engaged in the research of fighting the virus with Chinese medicine. The award is a high affirmation of the work achievements made by the team headed by the research fellow Yang Zifeng, which has further shown the bright prospect of the research of fighting the virus with Chinese medicine and will surely motivate more scientific workers to advance the breadth and depth of Chinese medicine research.