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British researchers to investigate Chinese herbal medicine as alternative treatment to antibiotics

Xinhua, May 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Researchers at the University of Southampton announced Tuesday that they will study the use of Chinese Herbal Medicines in treating recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs), in a bid to reduce the use of antibiotics in treatments.

Antibiotics are used to treat both acute and recurrent UTIs and while effective in reducing the duration of severe symptoms, antibiotic resistance is currently estimated at 20 percent for Trimethoprim and Cephalosporins, and in half of cases being treated with Amoxicillin.

The new study aims to assess whether herbal medicines could play a valuable role in replacing some antibiotic treatments for appropriate conditions.

A total of 80 women who have had three or more recurrent UTIs in the previous 12 months will receive individualized herbs prescribed by a Chinese herbal practitioner, or standardized herbs provided by primary care clinicians. Both arms are placebo controlled and will include herbs for the prevention of UTIs and treatment of acute episodes, according to the university. Treatment duration is for 16 weeks.

"Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has a recorded history of treating symptoms of UTIs for over 2,000 years. More recent clinical research in China has provided some preliminary evidence that CHM can alleviate the symptoms of UTIs and reduce the rate of recurrence but more rigorous investigation is required. If successful, the findings of this trial will provide the necessary data to progress to larger more definitive trials,"said Dr Andrew Flower, from the University of Southampton.

In the UK, urinary tract infections are the most common bacterial infection presented by women within the primary care setting, with approximately 40 to 50 percent of women experiencing one episode during their lives. Between 20 to 30 percent of women who have had one episode of UTI will have a recurrent UTI.

"The RUTI trial is the first time Chinese medicine has been authorized as a Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product in the UK. This means we have had to pass through the same regulatory pathways as for a conventional drug trial, and it is an important precedent for future research," said Flower. Endit