Efficacy Study of Herbal Formula CUF2 to Treat Childhood Asthma

NCT ID: NCT00636103

Last Updated: 2008-03-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1/PHASE2

Total Enrollment

90 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2002-07-31

Study Completion Date

2003-08-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Asthma is a long-term disease process with genetic, allergic, environmental, infectious, emotional and dietary influences. The symptoms control are mainly using an inhaled drug, avoiding triggers or taking preventive medicine. Although side effects are unlikely at low dose of the asthma treatment, they have become apparent at the higher dose. Due to safety concern, parents often turn to complementary and alternative medicine which they believe is natural and safe and may help to reduce the conventional medication dosage.

There are number of reports that treatment with traditional Chinese herbs or formulas resulted in significant improvement in lung function and reduction in the airway hyper-reactivity reaction. Our study drug CUF2, was based on a classical formulae and had been proven to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities in laboratory and animal studies.

With the pre-clinical evidence, this study aims to determine the effect of CUF2 on improving the clinical symptoms, biochemical markers, and requirement of steroid dosage among children with asthma.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Patients are recruited from 2 major governmental hospitals in Hong Kong (Prince of Wales Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital),aged between 7 to 15 years with mild to moderate asthma according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guideline, on regular inhaled steroid therapy and capable to perform a lung function test.

However, those patients are excluded if they could not swallow capsules or had received parenteral or oral corticosteroids, nedocromil, cromolyn, theophylline or anticonvulsants in the past 4 weeks.

Before study start, written informed consent will be obtained from each patient and one of their parents. The eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive CUF2 or placebo capsules for 6 months. For the dosage, children aged above 12 years old, 3 capsules twice daily and under 12 years old, 2 capsules twice daily.

During the 6 months period, below measurements will be taken:

* The severity of asthma symptoms was assessed using a modified Disease Severity Score (DSS)
* Lung Function Test by spirometry (SpiroPro Jaeger Toennies, Hoechberg, Germany)
* Conventional Medication consumption, according to GINA/NIH guidelines.
* Blood test, EDTA and clotted blood samples were taken at the baseline and end of the study for eosinophil counts, IgE level and cytokine assay.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Asthma

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

CUF2

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

CUF2

Intervention Type DRUG

0.619g of dried aqueous extract of equal weights of 5 herbs (Astragalus mongholius Bunge, Cordyceps sinensis Sacc., Radix Stemonae, Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Radix scutellariae).

The dosage for children above 12 years old was three capsules twice daily and for children under 12 years old two capsules twice daily.

Duration: 6 months

Placebo

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Dark coloured corn starch

The dosage for children above 12 years old was three capsules twice daily and for children under 12 years old two capsules twice daily.

Duration: 6 months

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

CUF2

0.619g of dried aqueous extract of equal weights of 5 herbs (Astragalus mongholius Bunge, Cordyceps sinensis Sacc., Radix Stemonae, Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Radix scutellariae).

The dosage for children above 12 years old was three capsules twice daily and for children under 12 years old two capsules twice daily.

Duration: 6 months

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Dark coloured corn starch

The dosage for children above 12 years old was three capsules twice daily and for children under 12 years old two capsules twice daily.

Duration: 6 months

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Persistent Mild to Moderate Asthma
* Aged 7 to 15 years
* On Regular inhaled steroid therapy
* Able to perform reproducible spirometry

Exclusion Criteria

* Could not swallow capsules
* Received parenteral or oral corticosteroids, nedocromil, cromolyn, theophylline or anticonvulsants in past 4 weeks
Minimum Eligible Age

7 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

15 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University Grants Committee, Hong Kong

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Tuen Mun Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Chinese University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Rita YT Sung, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status

Department of Paediatrics, Tuen Mun Hospital

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Hong Kong

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Leung R, Wong G, Lau J, Ho A, Chan JK, Choy D, Douglass C, Lai CK. Prevalence of asthma and allergy in Hong Kong schoolchildren: an ISAAC study. Eur Respir J. 1997 Feb;10(2):354-60. doi: 10.1183/09031936.97.10020354.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9042632 (View on PubMed)

Lau YL, Karlberg J. Prevalence and risk factors of childhood asthma, rhinitis and eczema in Hong Kong. J Paediatr Child Health. 1998 Feb;34(1):47-52. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1754.1998.00217.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9568941 (View on PubMed)

Rao R, Gregson RK, Jones AC, Miles EA, Campbell MJ, Warner JO. Systemic effects of inhaled corticosteroids on growth and bone turnover in childhood asthma: a comparison of fluticasone with beclomethasone. Eur Respir J. 1999 Jan;13(1):87-94. doi: 10.1183/09031936.99.13108799.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10836329 (View on PubMed)

But P, Chang C. Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of asthma and allergies. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 1996 Fall;14(3):253-69. doi: 10.1007/BF02802218. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8932956 (View on PubMed)

Hsieh KH. Evaluation of efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of childhood bronchial asthma: clinical trial, immunological tests and animal study. Taiwan Asthma Study Group. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1996 Aug;7(3):130-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1996.tb00120.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9116877 (View on PubMed)

Critchley JA, Zhang Y, Suthisisang CC, Chan TY, Tomlinson B. Alternative therapies and medical science: designing clinical trials of alternative/complementary medicines--is evidence-based traditional Chinese medicine attainable? J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 May;40(5):462-7. doi: 10.1177/00912700022009224.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10806598 (View on PubMed)

Lin LZ, He XG, Lindenmaier M, Nolan G, Yang J, Cleary M, Qiu SX, Cordell GA. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry study of the flavonoids of the roots of Astragalus mongholicus and A. membranaceus. J Chromatogr A. 2000 Apr 21;876(1-2):87-95. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(00)00149-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10823504 (View on PubMed)

Patocka J. Anti-inflammatory triterpenoids from mysterious mushroom Ganoderma lucidum and their potential possibility in modern medicine. Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove). 1999;42(4):123-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10812678 (View on PubMed)

Cheong J, Jung W, Park W. Characterization of an alkali-extracted peptidoglycan from Korean Ganoderma lucidum. Arch Pharm Res. 1999 Oct;22(5):515-9. doi: 10.1007/BF02979162.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10549581 (View on PubMed)

Kong XT, Fang HT, Jiang GQ, Zhai SZ, O'Connell DL, Brewster DR. Treatment of acute bronchiolitis with Chinese herbs. Arch Dis Child. 1993 Apr;68(4):468-71. doi: 10.1136/adc.68.4.468.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8503668 (View on PubMed)

Standards for the diagnosis and care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. This official statement of the American Thoracic Society was adopted by the ATS Board of Directors, November 1986. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Jul;136(1):225-44. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/136.1.225.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3605835 (View on PubMed)

Wong EL, Sung RY, Leung TF, Wong YO, Li AM, Cheung KL, Wong CK, Fok TF, Leung PC. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of herbal therapy for children with asthma. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Oct;15(10):1091-7. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0626.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 19821718 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

AoE-10/01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

ICM/CTS/002

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Asthma in Children
NCT01286532 COMPLETED
Protocol CAUSE-03 / CHEETAH
NCT06136091 RECRUITING
Montelukast With Status Asthmaticus, Ages 6-18
NCT00494572 UNKNOWN PHASE2/PHASE3
Montelukast With Status Asthmaticus, Ages 2-5
NCT00491790 UNKNOWN PHASE2/PHASE3