State of the Art and Future Implications of SH003: Acting as a Therapeutic Anticancer Agent

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This review discusses the prominent highlights of SH003, a herbal mixture that has the potential to become a notable anticancer agent in the future. Although developing an anticancer drug may take a lengthy approval process for any natural compounds or herbal mixtures to validate the positive effects from both non-clinical and clinical studies, the previous studies of SH003 have so far shown positive results in various malignancies, from both non-clinical and clinical studies. ABSTRACT: Cancer ranks as the first leading cause of death globally. Despite the various types of cancer treatments, negative aspects of the treatments, such as side effects and drug resistance, have been a continuous dilemma for patients. Thus, natural compounds and herbal medicines have earned profound interest as chemopreventive agents for reducing burden for patients. SH003, a novel herbal medicine containing Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica gigas, and Trichosanthes kirilowii, showed the potential to act as an anticancer agent in previous research studies. A narrative review was conducted to present the significant highlights of the total 15 SH003 studies from the past nine years. SH003 has shown positive results in both in vivo and vitro studies against various types of cancer cells; furthermore, the first clinical trial was performed to identify the maximum tolerated dose among solid cancer patients. So far, the potential of SH003 as a chemotherapeutic agent has been well-documented in research studies; continuous work on SH003’s efficacy and safety is required to facilitate better cancer patient care but is part of the knowledge needed to understand whether SH003 has the potential to become a pharmaceutical.