shenmai injection

Shenmai injection is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patent prescription composed primarily of extracts from Panax ginseng (ginseng radix rubra) and Ophiopogon japonicus (ophiopogonis radix). It is included in the National Essential Drug List of China. Shenmai injection is widely used as an adjunctive therapy for cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, pulmonary heart disease, and dilated cardiomyopathy. It has also been used to reduce cardiac toxicity induced by chemotherapeutic agents like doxorubicin and to enhance the efficacy or reduce side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. The proposed mechanisms include antioxidative effects (scavenging free radicals), anti-inflammatory actions, improvement of mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes, modulation of P-glycoprotein expression affecting drug pharmacokinetics, and general support for Qi and Yin according to TCM theory[1][2][3][4][5]. Clinical studies suggest that Shenmai injection can reduce myocardial injury markers (e.g., CKMB), improve cardiac function when combined with conventional treatments for viral myocarditis or other cardiac conditions[1], and protect against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity[4]. However, high-quality evidence from large-scale randomized controlled trials remains limited.

Brand names

Shenmai Injection

Other names

shenmai zhusheyeChinese patent-protected injection of Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus