From traditional use to clinical trials and meta-analyses
Recently we discussed clinical trials as the basis for evidence based traditional medicine (Lu et al., 2014).
For the official registration of traditional medicines such studies are
a must (see special issue JEP of volume 158 on “Regulation of Herbal
Medicines”, and Verpoorte (2014)).
Apparently in China many clinical studies have already been made on
TCM, though most are published in local, or national journals. The
results of these studies on different traditional medicines have been
analyzed in meta-analyses, which in most cases also are found in
difficult to access journals. In the issue 162 you will find a paper by Chung et al. (2015).
These authors analyzed these meta-studies based on international
criteria, showing that there is much room left for improving these
studies. So for both clinical trials and meta-analyses, all researchers
need to collaborate closely to meet the international quality
requirements. If a paper does not meet these requirements it means that
it has no value, and thus that precious time and money is lost, with no
meaning.
As a journal we try
to reach out to the field by making special issues dealing with various
aspects of ethnopharmacological research, including clinical trials.
Moreover, key papers in this field, like the paper by Chung et al. (2015),
are made available in open access so anyone can read these. In this
paper you will find recommendations and references to guidelines for
clinical trials and meta-analyses. So please spread this information to
colleagues and students, because when we are able to get all the
workforce of the past years in the field of clinical trials to work
following the standards required by regulatory authorities, the dream of
evidence based use of traditional medicines may become true!
Therefore
we look forward to receiving many papers for the journal describing
properly executed clinical trials and meta-analyses. That will open the
way to evidence based traditional medicines and at the same time lay a
firm basis for further systemic studies on the mode of action of these
medicines, which may lead to novel therapies and medicines.
References
- Chung et al., 2015
- Are meta-analyses of Chinese herbal medicine trials trustworthy and clinically applicable? A cross-sectional study
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 162 (2015), pp. 47–54
- | | |
- Lu et al., 2014
- Creative and innovative good practice in traditional Chinese medicine clinical studies: strategies for sustainable development
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 155 (2014), pp. 1625–1628
- | | |
- Verpoorte, 2014
- How to come to evidence-based herbal medicines, what are the rules?
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 158 (2014), p. 447
- | | |
