The safety and effectiveness of TM81, a Chinese herbal medicine, in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial

Aim TM81 (or Tang‐Min‐Ling‐Wan) is a Chinese medicine. Previous studies suggested that this medicine is effective for treating type 2 diabetes. This controlled trial evaluated the safety and effectiveness of TM81 in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. Methods This study was a large‐scale controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TM81 on type 2 diabetes. After a 2‐week run‐in period, 480 overweight type 2 early‐stage diabetic patients [35–65 years old, HbA1c ≥ 7.0%, fasting plasma glucose ( FPG ) 7.0–13.9 mM or 2 h plasma glucose ( PG ) > 11.1 mM , body mass index ( BMI ) ≥ 24 kg/m 2 ] were enrolled. These patients were divided into a TM81 group and placebo group in a 3 : 1 ratio. The subjects received 6 g TM81 or placebo, three times daily for 12 weeks. Results After treatment, the HbA1c decrease was 1.02% in the TM81 group versus 0.47% in the placebo group. The FPG decreased 0.8 ± 0.1 mM in the TM81 group versus an increase of 0.2 ± 0.2 mM in the placebo group. The PG decreased 2.7 ± 0.3 mM in the TM81 group versus a decrease of 0.9 ± 0.4 mM in the placebo group (all p < 0.05). The TM81 was more effective for patients with higher baseline HbA1c levels. The TM81 group also showed improved β‐cell function and increased homeostatic model assessment ( HOMA )‐β. In addition, body weight, BMI and waist circumference of subjects in the TM81 group were reduced, and the symptoms related to diabetes were improved. There were no significant differences in the types and frequency of adverse reactions between the two groups. Conclusions The data showed that TM81 is effective in controlling blood glucose level and is safe to use in patients with early‐stage type 2 diabetes.