Tu Youyou’s research results apply for new drugs to treat lupus erythematosus

　　Dihydroartemisinin tablets are the result of many years of research by Nobel Prize winner Professor Tu Youyou. Professor Tu once discovered in his research that dihydroartemisinin tablets have a significant effect on the treatment of lupus erythematosus. Recently, the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences officially submitted a new drug application for additional indications for dihydroartemisinin tablets, applying for the drug to be used to treat lupus erythematosus. It is reported that the application has passed the preliminary review.

　　According to reports: Regarding the new drug application for additional indications for dihydroartemisinin tablets, the Beijing Municipal Food and Drug Administration stated that the application has successfully passed the preliminary review of the Municipal Food and Drug Administration and has been forwarded to the State Food and Drug Administration for further approval. It is reported that this is the first application for adding new indications since dihydroartemisinin was approved as a Class I new drug in 1992.

　　Research has been hampered by lack of funding

　　Dihydroartemisinin is a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin. In 1985, the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences began to perfect dihydroartemisinin based on reduced artemisinin. Dihydroartemisinin tablets have received widespread attention as a new antimalarial drug. It is understood that after dihydroartemisinin was approved as a Class I new drug in 1992, Professor Tu Youyou began to focus on research on the treatment of autoimmune diseases with artemisinin. In research, it was found that dihydroartemisinin tablets also have significant effects on the treatment of lupus erythematosus.

　　The School of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Capital Medical University, who was mentored by Tu Youyou when he was studying for his Ph.D., said that as early as 2004, Professor Tu had obtained the drug clinical research approval document for increasing the indications of dihydroartemisinin tablets, “but funding issues have prevented this clinical study from being carried out. Without clinical research reports, applications for new drugs or new indications cannot be made. ”Wang Manyuan said that dihydroartemisinin tablets can be used to treat lupus erythematosus. In terms of drug production, the pharmaceutical process has not changed much, but because profits are difficult to guarantee, no suitable pharmaceutical factory has been found to provide funding. In 2011, Professor Tu won the Lasker Award, and dihydroartemisinin regained attention. “Unfortunately, the drug clinical research approval document applied for at that time had expired. ”explain.

　　New drug approval process will be accelerated

　　Recently, the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences officially submitted an application for new indications for dihydroartemisinin tablets. The State Food and Drug Administration stated that the application complies with the special approval process requirements for new drugs and will speed up its approval process. It is reported that the Drug Registration Office of the Municipal Food and Drug Administration has completed the formal review of the original application materials and transferred them to the Beijing Drug Evaluation Center for technical review on the afternoon of the review day. It has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, awaiting further approval.

　　In October 2015, Professor Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering artemisinin, a drug that can effectively reduce the mortality of malaria patients. She also became the first Chinese native scientist to win the Nobel Science Prize.

　　It is also reported that Zilat, chairman of the Nobel Prize Selection Committee, once said: "Chinese female scientist Tu Youyou isolated artemisinin from traditional Chinese medicine and used it to treat malaria, which shows that traditional Chinese herbal medicine can also bring new inspiration to scientists. ”She said that through the purification of modern technology and the combination with modern medicine, the achievements of Chinese herbal medicine in treating diseases are "remarkable".

　　In the 1960s and 1970s, under extremely difficult scientific research conditions, Tu Youyou's team cooperated with other institutions in China. After arduous efforts and drawing inspiration from classical Chinese medicine documents such as "Elbow Prescriptions", they pioneered the discovery of artemisinin and created a new method of treating malaria. Hundreds of millions of people around the world have benefited from this "Chinese miracle drug." At present, artemisinin-based compound drugs have become the standard treatment for malaria, and the World Health Organization has included artemisinin and related drugs in its essential medicine list.

　　lupus erythematosus

　　Lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease with unknown cause. Its typical symptoms are symmetrical red spots on the bridge of the nose and both sides. As with other autoimmune diseases, a patient's immune system attacks their own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Lupus can affect various organs, including the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system.

　　People of any age can get lupus, but 90% of patients are women, especially women of childbearing age, and there is a strong familial tendency. There is currently no cure for lupus erythematosus, but the symptoms can be treated, mainly with immunosuppressants.