Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common ailment in people venturing over 2,500 meters altitude. It is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. It presents with a cluster of nonspecific symptoms including headache and one of the following: gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue and/or weakness, dizziness/ lightheadedness or difficulty sleeping.~T89 capsule is a modernized industrialized version of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It is a botanical drug product for oral use. Previous clinical studies showed T89 has substantial benefits in the prevention or amelioration of symptoms associated with acute mountain sickness (AMS).This is double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled pivotal phase 3 study. After informed consent is obtained, eligible subjects will be randomized to one of the 3 study groups (T89 high dose, T89 low dose and placebo control). The study drug will be given orally for 5 days (2 days at sea level and 3 days at high altitude). The clinical assessment of Lake Louise Scoring System (LLSS), blood oxygen saturation, the exercise tolerance, blood pressure and heart rate will be performed at sea level and altitude. A total of 846 subjects will be enrolled with 282 subjects in each treatment arm, and a minimum of 756 subjects are expected to complete the study.
The specific aim of this double blind, randomized phase III trial is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of T89 in preventing Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and relieving the symptoms of AMS after rapid ascent.