Xuebijing Decreased Mortality in a Large Chinese Study of Patients with Severe Pneumonia

Small, low-quality studies have suggested clinical benefit with the herbal-based medication Xuebijing in patients with severe infections (J Ethnopharmacol 2018; 224:512), but large, high-quality randomized trials have not yet been performed.

To test the efficacy of Xuebijing in adults (ages 18–75 years) with severe community acquired pneumonia (as defined by the American Thoracic Society), Chinese researchers randomized patients to 5 days of intravenous Xuebijing or matching placebo in addition to standard care. Patients with pregnancy, obstructive lung tumors, or severe comorbidities, and those taking immunosuppressants were excluded.

Overall, 710 patients were enrolled across 33 centers (average age, 58; 68% male). Baseline prognostic value…