Recently, an article entitled "Pidotimod, a pediatric medicine, has been skinned by experts, and foreign countries are still in the rat stage" has made headlines in major media, causing heated discussion among many netizens.
According to the article, some experts revealed that in foreign medical clinical trials, the imported drug pidotimod is still in the mouse stage, and its curative effect is still unclear. However, it has become an expensive "magic medicine" in China, and its abuse sales in pediatrics of major hospitals are expected to reach 4 billion yuan.
So, is this medicine still usable? What is the truth? Give everyone a popular science today!
What kind of medicine is pidotimod?
Pidotimod is a synthetic chemical drug, which was first synthesized by PoliIndustriaChimica company in 1990s, and it has been around for more than 20 years. In the experiment, researchers found that pidotimod can enhance the activity of immune system, and then it was used in dermatology, endocrinology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, pediatrics and other clinical departments for treatment.
Where is pidotimod used?
Pidotimod's domestic instructions indicate that Pidotimod "is suitable for patients with low immunity and repeated infections of upper and lower respiratory tract;" Repeated infection in otolaryngology department; Urinary system infection; Gynecological infection; Auxiliary drugs to prevent acute infection, shorten the course of disease and reduce the severity of the disease. "Children's immunity has not been fully developed, and they are often defined as" immunocompromised "people. Some experimental studies have found that pidotimod has a certain effect on children's acute respiratory tract infection, and now it is more and more widely used to treat children's acute respiratory tract infection.
In recent years, pidotimod is very popular in clinic, and its annual sales in China may exceed 4 billion. There are 9 varieties of pidotimod in China, covering tablets, powders, oral liquids, capsules and other dosage forms. Another one is imported from Poland. R.L However, European countries do not encourage the use of pidotimod, and the US FDA has not approved the listing of pidotimod.
What is the effect of pidotimod in the treatment of respiratory tract infection in children?
Many studies have shown that pidotimod is mainly used for children with immune deficiency or serious diseases that are difficult to cure for a long time because of low immunity, but it is not a routine treatment for infection, and doctors can't just "catch a cold".
In addition, the manufacturer of Pidotimod, POLICHEMSA, has submitted the clinical effect of Pidotimod in treating irritable bowel syndrome, dermatophytes, atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation-related diseases to the US Patent and Trademark Office, and obtained patents, but there is no patent related to Pidotimod in treating acute respiratory diseases in children.
The efficacy and safety of pidotimod in the treatment of acute respiratory tract infection in children are questionable!
Most of the research on the effectiveness of pidotimod was completed in the 1990s. Due to the limitation of research methodology at that time, the research results were biased and the conclusions were not very convincing.
Can children use pidotimod?
Children's immune system is not fully developed. Acute respiratory infection is the most common disease in children, and the prevalence rate reaches its peak before the age of 4. Suggestion:
The safety and effectiveness of 1. pidotimod are being further confirmed. Some European countries and the United States and other countries do not encourage it to be used to treat children's colds. There is no reliable evidence that its curative effect is exact. Use with caution in children with acute respiratory infection, and it is not recommended for children under three years old.
2. The development of children's immune system is a normal process from imperfect to perfect. The common cold is a self-limiting disease and does not need over-treatment. If there is infection, antibiotics should be the first choice.
3. Pidotimod is not recommended as a means to prevent respiratory infection in healthy children.
4. The prevention and treatment of children's acute respiratory tract infection should focus on prevention, so as to avoid children's exposure to risk factors that cause respiratory tract infection, such as humidity, mold growth, environmental pollution, and parents' smoking.
5. Further study the mechanism of action of pidotimod, establish the diagnostic index of clinical indications, scientifically guide the timing, dosage and course of treatment, and judge the effect of medication.