「PhytoHealth PG2®」, a botanical new drug developed by PhytoHealth Corporation, was approved by Taiwan FDA being the “first approval” under the category of Botanical New Drugs in the form of Injectables.

「PhytoHealth PG2®」 is an IV injection developed from the extracts of Astragalus membranaceus. The new drug has been clinically proven to be safe and efficacious in relieving cancer-related fatigue (CRF) among advanced cancer patients under standard palliative care.

Cancer-related fatigue (hereafter CRF) is a frequently observed symptom in cancer patients.  The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) practice guidelines define CRF as “a distressing, persistent, subjective sense of tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual functioning”. About 60-90% of advanced cancer patients report fatigue as their most frequent and debilitating symptom. CRF is more severe and distressing than the fatigue experienced by healthy individuals and is less likely to be relieved by rest.  This fatigue can affect the psychosocial and physical functioning of the patients and multiple levels and usually causes a noticeable decrease in the patients’ quality of life.  In cancer patients, the effect of fatigue is more severe than that of nausea or depression. Therefore, CRF is considered as the most important untreated symptom in cancer.

PhytoHealth Corporation is an indigenous Taiwan corporation dedicated to the development of botanical new drugs and is the first such company to be listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange (Stock Number: 4108). In addition to PG2, the company has 7 other new candidate drugs under clinical development including US FDA approved Phase II clinical trials listed below:

1. PHN013 for ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura),
2. PHN031 for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women,
3. PHN081 for Acute Cough, and
4. PHN033 for Diebetic Nephropathy.