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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07708948

Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Tongluo Kaibi Tablets in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Fibromyalgia is a chronic, disabling musculoskeletal pain disorder. Pregabalin is the sole pharmaceutical agent approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia in China. Tongluo Kaibi Tablet, an approved proprietary Chinese medicine with collaterals-dredging and blood-activating effects, has demonstrated potential therapeutic benefits for fibromyalgia in preliminary small-scale observational studies, yet high-quality large-sample clinical evidence remains lacking. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy parallel-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Tongluo Kaibi Tablet in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 4

Primary location

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100053, China

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 to 75 years at the time of informed consent acquisition, regardless of gender;
  • Meet the 2016 fibromyalgia classification criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology;
  • Score ≥4 on the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (Pain VAS) at screening;
  • Agree to receive 8 weeks of treatment and related examinations, and sign the informed consent form;
  • No medication for fibromyalgia, or the types and dosages of medications for fibromyalgia have remained stable for at least 2 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

  • Have a medical history or confirmed diagnosis of any of the following conditions during screening: severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; combined diabetes, malignant tumors, hematological diseases, inflammatory arthritis or other severe progressive systemic diseases; other psychiatric disorders leading to inability or unwillingness to cooperate with the trial;
  • Any laboratory test result before screening meets the following criteria: liver and renal function tests show ALT or AST > 2 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), or creatinine (Cr) > 1.2 times ULN (refer to the normal reference range of the laboratory at each study center); other clinically significant abnormal laboratory parameters judged by investigators to disqualify subjects from enrollment;
  • Allergic constitution, or hypersensitivity to the investigational product Tongluo Kaibi Tablets, pregabalin capsules, excipients or similar ingredients; Suspected or confirmed history of alcohol or substance abuse;
  • Pregnant or lactating women, women planning pregnancy in the near future, or those unwilling to adopt contraceptive measures;
  • Receiving Tongluo Kaibi Tablets at enrollment;
  • Participation in any other clinical trial within 3 months prior to enrollment;
  • Any other conditions judged by investigators to render the subject unsuitable for this clinical trial.

Treatment and study plan

Tongluo Kaibi Tablet

Drug

Tongluo Kaibi Tablet is composed of eight Chinese herbal medicines: Nux Vomica Powder, Radix Cyathulae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Flos Carthami, Fructus Chaenomelis, Herba Schizonepetae, Radix Saposhnikoviae and Scorpio. It dispels wind and unblocks collaterals, activates blood circulation and dissipates stagnation. It is indicated for joint pain and swelling caused by intermingled cold-heat complicated with blood stasis obstructing collaterals. Since its launch, it has been widely used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

Pregabalin capsule

Drug

Pregabalin is one of the three medications (pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran) that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat fibromyalgia in US, and the only medicine that has been approved in China.

Primary outcomes

  1. The change of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain from baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8

    Pain VAS, range, 0 to 100 mm, where higher scores indicated the perceived pain to be more severe.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The change of the revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) from baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8.

    A self-administered questionnaire with 10 subscales, measuring fibromyalgia symptoms and function domains. FIQR total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

  2. The change of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) from baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8.

    The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) measures fatigue severity. The MFI-20 total score ranges from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicate more severe fatigue.

  3. The change of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) from baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8.

    Scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality.

  4. The Beck II Depression Inventory (BDI)

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8.

    The Beck II Depression Inventory (BDI) assesses the severity of depressive symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 39, with higher scores indicate a greater degree of depression severity.

  5. The change of the revised Widespread Pain Index(WPI)from baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline, week 4, and week 8.

    The total score of the Widespread Pain Index (WPI) ranges from 0 to 19, corresponding to 19 standard pain sites all over the body. One point is assigned if pain is present at a site within the past week, and zero point if no pain occurs. A higher total score indicates a wider distribution of pain across the body.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Tongluo Kaibi Tablets in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 16, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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