Cordyceps Capsule Trial Tests Whether Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Stop

A Beijing research team has launched a multicenter clinical trial to test whether a traditional Chinese medicine capsule can reduce repeat infections in a hard-to-treat lung disease. The study, published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, will evaluate Bailing capsule—made from the fungus Cordyceps sinensis—against recurrence of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). The trial protocol, registered as NCT07174076, is funded by China’s National Science and Technology Major Project and involves eight clinical centers. MAC-PD often relapses after patients appear microbiologically cured, and no intervention has been prospectively proven to prevent that. The approach is host-directed, aiming to support immune clearance.