Xiyanping (喜炎平) is an anti-inflammatory and

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...

preparation developed and licensed for use in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It is a semi-synthetic injectable product derived from the active component of the plant ''

Andrographis paniculata ''Andrographis paniculata'', commonly known as creat or green chiretta, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka. It is widely cultivated in Southern and Southeastern Asia, where it has been believ ...

'' (Chuan Xin Lian, 穿心蓮), which is used in

Traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

. Xiyanping is primarily composed of 9-dehydro-17-hydro-andrographolide and sodium 9-dehydro-17-hydro-andrographolide-19-yl sulfate. It is used mainly in the treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease,

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

, upper respiratory tract infections and

viral pneumonia Viral pneumonia is a pneumonia caused by a virus. Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation in one or both of the lungs. The pulmonary alveoli fill with fluid or pus making it difficult to breathe. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, vir ...

, though one case report suggested it may also be useful in the treatment of

Zika fever Zika fever, also known as Zika virus disease or simply Zika, is an infectious disease caused by the Zika virus. Most cases have no symptoms, but when present they are usually mild and can resemble dengue fever. Symptoms may include fever, red ...

Side effects

Xiyanping injection may be associated with side effects typical of allergic reaction, most commonly erythema and pruritus around the injection site, but more rarely anaphylactic reactions may occur, which can be life-threatening. Also, andrographolide and related derivatives are known to be

abortifacient An abortifacient ("that which will cause a miscarriage" from Latin: ''abortus'' "miscarriage" and '' faciens'' "making") is a substance that induces abortion. This is a nonspecific term which may refer to any number of substances or medications, ...

,See reference 2 above making xiyanping unsuitable for use in pregnant women.

References

Antiviral drugs Tetrahydrofurans {{Antiinfective-drug-stub

Side effects

See also

References