EPs 7630, a Herbal Drug Preparation for Treating Acute Bronchitis in Children and Adults

Herbal medicines play an increasingly important role in the perception of physicians and patients looking for equally effective, albeit safer approaches to conventional management of acute bronchitis. A no antibiotic or delayed antibiotic prescribing strategy to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections (RTI) has been advocated since the late 1990’s (Little, 2005). In the light of inappropriate antibiotic use in this indication especially in children and increasing drug resistance rates worldwide, the need for an alternative remedy is crucial (Abbas et al., 2010). There is encouraging evidence derived from high quality randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that EPs 76301, a herbal drug preparation from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides widely used in several countries for the treatment of RTIs in children (≥1 year of age) and adults, is effective in patients with acute bronchitis.