Chinese pharmaceutical company Yiling Pharmaceutical said on Friday that Xiamen University's Prof. Caisheng Wu and Prof. Yifeng Chai have made new progress in the study of the pharmacologically active ingredients and mechanism of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules in prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Lianhua Qingwen Capsules is an innovative Chinese medicine developed and produced by Yiling Pharmaceutical, which is mainly used for the treatment of cold, flu and other diseases. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules have been recommended and used in designated admission hospitals for COVID-19 in China. The drug is now approved for marketing in 21 countries and regions.

The company added that the study result "Screening of the Anti-COVID-19 Pharmacological Active Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine Lianhua Qingwen Capsules Based on Human Exposure and ACE2 Biochromatography", was published in Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B.

According to the company, the Lianhua Qingwen Capsules' components, Amygdalin, Prunasin, Glycyrrhizic Acid, Forsythoside A, Forsythoside I, Rhein and Aloe-emodin all showed binding affinity to ACE2. These ACE2-binding components may inhibit the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by effectively affecting the binding between ACE2 and S protein, providing an experimental basis for the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 with Lianhua Qingwen Capsules.