Four truths pidotimod must restore?

summary

Recently, pidotimod, an unknown common drug, has become the focus of public attention. It is known as "magic medicine", and it is said that it is "abused" by Chinese people because "clinical trials abroad are still in the stage of mice", and even called for "please let Chinese children go". Pidotimod and its manufacturers have naturally been hit hard and become the target of public criticism. Even the drug examiner of the drug was "shot", and the doctor who prescribed the drug was also involved.

Four truths pidotimod must restore?

Truth 1 pidotimod has been listed in several countries. After inquiry, the authoritative Pharmacopoeia of Martindale was edited and published by the Pharmacopoeia press affiliated to the pharmaceutical science department of the British Pharmaceutical Society. It was recorded that its single component preparations were approved and sold in several countries: China: Dechang, fuluyin, Lide, Polimod (primo), Pule Yi (poleyi), wanshining (wanshining), Weitian (Weitian); Greece: polimod (trade name, the same below); Italy: axil, onaka, pigitil, polimod; Mexico: adimod; Russia: imunorix; Ukraine: imunorix.

Truth 2. Pidotimod did a lot of basic research. In recent years, the improvement of research methods and the knowledge gained in various fields of clinical immunology have become a new starting point of pidotimod's research. Eight reports were published in 2013-2017. The first three papers, published in 2017 by Chinese authors, are: pharmacokinetic study of pidotimod (in chickens) by ultra performance liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry (determination of absorption, distribution, metabolism and bioavailability data); Pidotimod aggravates allergic pulmonary infection in ova induced asthma model in mice (suggesting that the efficacy of pidotimod in controlling allergic asthma needs further evaluation and Research); Study on the immune enhancement effect of pidotimod soluble powder and Newcastle disease vaccine. In 2014, scholars from Brescia University in Italy reported that pidotimod can induce the expression of nod like receptor nlrp12 and reduce TLR induced inflammation, indicating that pidotimod can antagonize TLR induced inflammation. The research results pave the way for the development of innovative treatment methods.

The approved indications are consistent with the clinical data. Pidotimod is an immunostimulant, and its instructions say that it is suitable for the following patients with low cellular immune function: 1. Recurrent respiratory tract infection (tracheitis, bronchitis); 2; 2. Recurrent infection of ear, nose and throat (rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis); 3. Repeated infection of urinary system; 4. Repeated infection in gynecology; 5. It can be used to prevent the disease in the acute stage of infection, shorten the course of disease, reduce the severity of the disease, and reduce the number of repeated attacks. It can also be used as an adjuvant drug in the treatment of acute infection.

matters needing attention

Truth 4 is not a "magic drug". The annual sales of 4 billion yuan is easy to make people suspect that it has been abused, and its sales are also related to large doses and the need to take it continuously for a long time (400-800 mg, 60 days). In fact, another kind of statistical data, that is, the number of drug prescriptions, may be more meaningful in some aspects for the analysis of drug use. It does not need to be converted according to the price to directly reflect the drug consumption.