The randomized controlled trial (RCT) research of Xiangshao Granules developed by Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group (“YRPG” or “the Group”) was officially published in “Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B”, a top international journal in pharmaceutical sciences. The paper is titled “A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Xiangshao Granules for Anxiety in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women”. The journal boasts a latest Impact Factor of 14.6 and ranks in JCR Q1 (Q1 Zone of Journal Citation Reports) in the pharmacy discipline. This publication sets an all-time record for the highest Impact Factor of a single paper released by the Group, marking that YRPG’s research strength in traditional Chinese medicine has gained recognition from authoritative international academic institutions.
Led by the Medical Center under YRPG’s Marketing Department and spearheaded by Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College Hospital, this study was jointly conducted across 18 domestic clinical centers, enrolling a total of 360 menopausal female subjects aged 40 to 65 with anxiety symptoms. After 8 weeks of treatment, the high-dose Xiangshao Granules group demonstrated significantly lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores and superior clinical response rates compared with the control group. Participants also showed remarkable improvements from baseline in depression scores, menopausal index and gastrointestinal symptom ratings. Transcriptomics, network pharmacology and metabolomics analyses were integrated to cross-validate the findings. The research confirmed that Xiangshao Granules exert therapeutic effects by regulating dopaminergic signaling pathways, laying a scientific foundation for compound traditional Chinese medicine research and subsequent precise clinical medication.
Co-sponsored by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, “Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B” imposes stringent requirements on manuscripts in terms of innovation, methodological rigor and clinical value. The successful publication of the research on Xiangshao Granules proves that compound traditional Chinese medicines can generate internationally recognized evidence-based medical findings through standardized clinical trial designs. It also demonstrates that the organic integration of modern omics technologies and classic TCM theories can clearly clarify the mechanisms of action of herbal formulas, addressing the concerns of global academic peers over the efficacy and pharmacological pathways of traditional Chinese medicine. The release of this high-caliber paper further underscores that the Group’s TCM research and development capabilities have reached international standards, empowering YRPG to share its research outputs on leading academic platforms worldwide.
This research finding offers a novel, safe and effective TCM therapeutic regimen with clarified mechanisms for women with perimenopausal and postmenopausal anxiety, and builds a valuable data foundation for the Group’s follow-up evidence-based clinical studies of TCM products. Going forward, the Group will consistently implement its dual-wheel driven R&D strategy of "Clinical Evidence + Basic Mechanism”. It will speed up the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine, advance more high-quality TCM products to the global market, and contribute Chinese wisdom to global health undertakings.