Summary
Panax ginseng 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 Panax ginseng to COPD: 1 is active or not yet recruiting. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 848 participants. Registered activity dates to 2024. The literature layer holds 5 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 1 systematic review and 3 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2006 to 2020. 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 | 21.0 (trials 2.0, literature 14.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 5 (3 clinical trial publications, 1 Cochrane review, 1 systematic review) |
| 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06326658 | Bufei Yishen Prescription on Patients With Frequent AECOPD in Stable Stage 2024 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 848 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Effect of Panax Ginseng (G115) Capsules versus Placebo on Acute Exacerbations in Patients with Moderate to Very Severe COPD: A Randomized Controlled TrialChen Y, Lin L, Wu L et al. · International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2020 · PMID 32273696
- Clinical trial publication 12-month randomised controlled trial of ginseng extract for moderate COPDShergis JL, Thien F, Worsnop CJ et al. · Thorax · 2019 · PMID 30940771
- 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
- Clinical trial publication Panax ginseng C.A Meyer root extract for moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): study protocol for a randomised controlled trialXue CC, Shergis JL, Zhang AL et al. · Trials · 2011 · PMID 21718484
- Systematic review Herbal medicines for the treatment of COPD: a systematic reviewGuo R, Pittler MH, Ernst E · The European respiratory journal · 2006 · PMID 16880367
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 Panax ginseng approved for COPD?
Panax ginseng 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 Panax ginseng in clinical trials for COPD?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Panax ginseng to COPD: 1 is active or not yet recruiting. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 848 participants. Registered activity dates to 2024.
What does the evidence show for Panax ginseng in COPD?
Trials of Panax ginseng 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.