Summary
Cordyceps sinensis has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for COPD. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Cordyceps sinensis to COPD: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT03745261). It plans or enrolled 240 participants. Registered activity dates to 2018. The literature layer holds 3 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 1 meta-analysis and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 2014 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ranks 505 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Effectively zero — airflow obstruction is irreversible by definition in COPD; FEV1 decline continues at 30-60 mL/year on standard care.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 19.0 (trials 3.0, literature 11.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 3 (1 Cochrane review, 1 meta-analysis, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Herbal) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Herbal medicine for COPD · Halma MTJ, Saleeby Y, Tuszynski J · 2024 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03745261 | Effect of Yong Chong Cao Capsule on Outcomes in Patients With Mild to Severe COPD 2018 | status unknown | Phase 3 | 240 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication The Effectiveness of Yong Chong Cao Capsule in Patients With Mild to Severe COPD: A Multi-Center, Randomized, Active-Controlled TrialLi S, Xie Y, Lin L et al. · Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2025 · PMID 41295088
- Meta-analysis Therapeutic efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of Bailing capsule on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis and network pharmacologyMa G, Jin Y · Pharmaceutical biology · 2024 · PMID 39460586
- Cochrane review Oral Chinese herbal medicine combined with pharmacotherapy for stable COPD: a systematic review of effect on BODE index and six minute walk testChen X, May B, Di YM et al. · PloS one · 2014 · PMID 24622390
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal medicine for COPD · Halma MTJ, Saleeby Y, Tuszynski J · 2024.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cordyceps sinensis approved for COPD?
Cordyceps sinensis has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for COPD. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Cordyceps sinensis in clinical trials for COPD?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Cordyceps sinensis to COPD: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT03745261). It plans or enrolled 240 participants. Registered activity dates to 2018.
What does the evidence show for Cordyceps sinensis in COPD?
Trials of Cordyceps sinensis in COPD are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.