A Chinese plant would strengthen the action of methotrexate, a drug indicated in the management of polyarthritis. Combining the two products decreases the symptoms of the disease.
A Chinese herb could make methotrexate, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease that affects multiple joints, even more effective. This is what suggests in any case a study published on Monday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The plant in question is called “Tripterigium wifordii Hook F”. It is recommended by traditional Chinese pharmacopoeia in inflammation and joint pain. The Chinese nickname it “vine of the thunder god”!
The plant decreases the symptoms of RA
Thus, in a 24-week randomized study involving more than 200 people never treated but suffering from this pathology, an American-Chinese-American team wanted to compare the effectiveness of this treatment with that of mehtotrexate in this indication.
For this, three groups were formed, all followed for 6 months. Participants in the first received 12.5g of methotrexate per week. Those of the second were treated only with 20mg of TwHF. As for the last, it benefited from a combination of the two substances. And the results are astonishing, 55% of the patients treated with the plant achieve an ACR50 response, that is to say a very good response (reduction by half of the symptoms), versus 46.5% in the methotrexate group, the treatment first-line reference in PR. https://www.pourquoidocteur.fr/MaladiesPkoidoc/574-Polyarthrite-rhumatoide-des-douleurs-matinales-des-petites-articulations-des
Combine the two products, the most effective formula
However, this open-label study (there was no placebo group) does not yet allow this treatment to be validated in this pathology. The results relate to 84% of patients at 24 weeks and the doses of methotrexate chosen, 12.5 mg / week, are a little low. This work is therefore very interesting but does not yet allow to fully validate the efficacy of this plant in monotherapy.
Finally, in this research, there was a 3rd group, combining the plant and methotrexate, and in this group, the ACR50 response was obtained in 77% of patients, “which is very promising, especially as the tolerance was good, ”say the scientists.
Conclusion of the team, we may have a new treatment, if not first line, at least in combination with methotrexate. All that remains is to validate its effectiveness in preventing joint damage in a double-blind study (1) and over at least one year, say rheumatology experts.
(1) In this case, the doctors who follow the patients also do not know which drug was assigned to them by chance. This is then a randomized double-blind controlled trial (since both doctors and patients are “blind” to the treatment actually followed).
.
