Sinupret

Ingredients:

Gentian (yellow gentian) (Gentiana lutea L.) root
Cowslip (primrose) (Primula veris L.) flower
Sorrel (sour dock) (Rumex acetosa L.) aerial parts
European elder (Sambucus nigra L.) flower
European vervain (vervain wort) (Verbena officinalis L. ssp.
officinalis) aerial parts



Sinupret® is manufactured in Germany by Bionorica Arzneimittel
GmbH. It contains a blend of five powdered plant materials: gentian
root, European elder flower, European vervain aerial parts, cowslip
flower, and sorrel aerial parts. Each tablet contains 78 mg of herbs.
Sinupret is also sold in a liquid form: 100 g contains 29 g of aqueous
alcoholic extracts (59 percent ethanol) of the herbs mentioned
previously. Sinupret is distributed in the United States by Mediceutix,
Inc.

Sinupret was approved as a drug to treat acute and chronic sinusitis
by the federal authorities in Germany in 1997. Sinusitis is characterized
by symptoms of nasal obstruction, discharge, postnasal drip,
headache, and sore throat. It is often caused by a bacterial infection,
and may follow a common cold or flu. Acute sinusitis may last for up
to three weeks, but if it lasts for three months, it is considered chronic.
Medical treatment is often aimed at eliminating the bacterial infection
(if present) and reducing symptoms of sinus congestion and nasal
discharge (Behr, 1998).

Two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies on patients
with acute or chronic sinusitis were reviewed. In a good-quality trial,
160 subjects with acute sinusitis were given either Sinupret (two 78
mg tablets three times daily) or placebo in addition to antibiotic and
decongestant therapy. After two weeks, radiographic (X-ray) reports
and patients’ assessments showed significant improvement with Sinupret
compared with placebo (Neubauer and März, 1994).

The other trial, with poor methodological ratings, included 31 subjects
with chronic sinusitis and compared treatment with either the
liquid or tablet form of Sinupret with two matching placebos. After
one week of treatment, radiographic and ultrasound findings showed
improvement with both forms of Sinupret compared with placebo.
Complete recovery occurred in 12 of 16 subjects in the treatment
group and in 6 of 15 subjects in the placebo group (Richstein and
Mann, 1999).