Guang Jing Increased Ureteral Stone Passage

Oral Guang Jing Qian Cao (Desmodium styracifolium total flavone capsules; Guang Jing), a traditional Chinese herbal extract, increased computed tomography–confirmed passage of 5- to 10-mm ureteral stones by day 28 compared with placebo in a phase 3 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 606 adults aged 18 to 70 years at 34 sites in China from December 2017 through April 2020. Participants had a newly diagnosed ureteral stone or renal colic within 1 month and a 5- to 10-mm stone below the ureteropelvic junction; one participant withdrew before dosing, leaving 605 participants in the efficacy and safety analyses.

Participants were randomized 3:1 to receive Guang Jing 0.6g or matching placebo orally 3 times daily for 28 days, in addition to investigator-prescribed background medication. The primary endpoint was stone passage by day 28, confirmed by computed tomography.

Stone passage occurred in 204 of 457 participants (44.6%) receiving Guang Jing and 50 of 148 (33.8%) receiving placebo (relative risk, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03-1.69; P=.03), an absolute risk difference of 10.9 percentage points (95% CI, 2.0-19.7). No significant between-group differences were observed in stone passage by day 14 or stone migration distance.

Adverse events were reported in 19.3% of the Guang Jing group and 18.2% of the placebo group; serious adverse events occurred in 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively. The authors noted that the China-only, homogeneous population limits generalizability, computed tomography slice thickness may have reduced sensitivity to small migration-distance differences, and 55.4% of Guang Jing recipients remained without confirmed passage by day 28. They concluded that further studies are needed to identify the patients most likely to benefit. The trial sponsor, Hubei Bio-Pharmaceutical Industrial Technological Institute Inc, designed the trial, monitored sites, and collected and analyzed the data according to a prespecified statistical analysis plan.

Source: Wang D, Zhang S, Zhao W, et al. Desmodium styracifolium total flavone capsules for urolithiasis: a phase 3 randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(9):e2632874. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.32874