Efficacy and Safety of Prunella Oral Liquid in the Treatment of Thyroid Nodules

A multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Prunella oral liquid in patients with benign thyroid nodules, which belongs to the post-marketing reevaluation clinical study.

In this study, 234 subjects will be enrolled by competitive enrollment at several research centers across China. The main inclusion criteria are:

① Thyroid ultrasound examination found thyroid nodules, can be accompanied by goiter, and the nodules meet the following conditions: 1) There were dominant nodules in single or multiple nodules (the largest diameter of the second largest nodules was not more than 50% of the largest nodules), 2) solid nodules, 3) the longest diameter of nodules was ≥1cm and \< 3cm, 4) C-TIRADS 3\~4A nodules.

② Patients who met the puncture indication were confirmed by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) as benign nodules (Bethesda II).

③ Levels of TSH, FT3 and FT4 were normal, and the antibody titers of TgAb and TPOAb were normal.

Eligible subjects will be randomly assigned on a 1:1:2:2 scale to: Group A (placebo conventional dose group, 10 mL/times, 2 times/day), group B (placebo 2x dose group, 10ml/times, 2 times/day), group C (conventional dose group of Prunella oral liquid), group D (Prunella oral liquid 2x dose group). All subjects will receive the treatment for 9 months and follow up at 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month.

The primary efficacy endpoint of this study was the rate of change in thyroid nodule volume from baseline at 9 months of treatment. The rate of change in thyroid nodule volume from baseline at 3 and 6 months of treatment was a secondary efficacy endpoint. Other secondary efficacy endpoints included maximum thyroid nodule diameter, number of thyroid nodules, proportion of patients with reduced thyroid nodule volume or ≥50% from baseline, thyroid volume, thyroid function (serum TSH, FT3, FT4, thyroid egg levels (Tg), thyroid antibody levels (TgAb, TPOAb), quality of life evaluation (SF-36), etc. Safety endpoints included incidence of AE/ serious adverse events (SAE), causality, and outcomes. Incidence of AE/SAE leading to discontinuation. Changes in safety laboratory test values from baseline.