Prospective Indian Study of DILI with Confirmed Causality Using the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM): A report of Excellence

Liver biopsy for assessment of suspected drug-induced liver injury in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis clinical trials: Expert consensus from the Liver Forum

BACKGROUND

Causality assessment of suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) during metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) clinical trials can be challenging, and liver biopsies are not routinely performed as part of this evaluation. While the field is moving away from liver biopsy as a diagnostic and prognostic tool, information not identified by non-invasive testing may be provided on histology.

AIM

To address the appropriate utilisation of liver biopsy as part of DILI causality assessment in this setting.

METHODS

From 2020 to 2022, the Liver Forum convened a series of webinars on issues pertaining to liver biopsy during MASH trials. The Histology Working Group was formed to generate a series of consensus documents addressing these challenges. This manuscript focuses on liver biopsy as part of DILI causality assessment.

RESULTS

Expert opinion, guidance and recommendations on the role of liver biopsy as part of causality assessment of suspected DILI occurring during clinical trials for a drug(s) being developed for MASH are provided. Lessons learned from prior MASH programs are reviewed and gaps identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are no pathognomonic features, histologic evaluation of suspected DILI during MASH clinical trials may alter patient management, define the pattern and severity of injury, detect findings that favour a diagnosis of DILI versus MASH progression, identify prognostic features, characterise the clinicopathological phenotype of DILI, and/or define lesions that influence decisions about trial discontinuation and further development of the drug.

Evaluation of Adverse Drug Reactions in Paediatric Patients: A Retrospective Study in Turkish Hospital

Drug safety in paediatric patients is a serious public health concern around the world. The paediatric patients are more prone to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) than adults. Moreover, there is a scarcity of information about ADRs in paediatric patients. This study was conducted to determine the frequency, causality, severity, preventability of paediatric patients’ ADRs reported in a tertiary care hospital in Adana, Turkey. A retrospective study was conducted on all spontaneously reported ADRs between January 01, 2020, to July 30, 2021, in paediatric patients. The ADRs reports were evaluated in terms of gender, age, ADR characteristics, suspected drugs and reporting source. All included ADRs reports were characterized according to the Naranjo Algorithm/World Health Organization (WHO) causality scales, Hartwig/Siegel and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) severity scales, the modified Schoumock and Thornton preventability scale and hospital pharmacovigilance center criteria for seriousness. Therapeutic groups were also coded using the WHO-Anatomical Therapeutic and Chemical (ATC) classification. During the study period, 8,912 paediatric patients who were admitted had 16 ADRs with 1.7 ADRs/1,000 admissions. The majority of ADRs were found in infants (31.2%) and children (56.2%) as compared to adolescents (12.5%). ADRs were observed more in females (81.2%) than males. Skin (62.5%) was the most affected organ due to the ADRs, and maculopapular rash and erythema multiforme were the most commonly reported symptoms. Most ADRs were probable/likely (93.7%), severe (50%), preventable or probably preventable (43.7%) and serious (37.5%). Antibiotics (93.7%) were found to be the most common cause of ADRs in paediatric patients. The majority of ADRs were associated with vancomycin (68.7%). Most of the ADRs were reported by a medical doctor in this study. This small sample size study highlights significant problems of ADRs in paediatric patients, mainly caused by antibiotics and with a majority of ADRs manifest as skin reactions. Furthermore, a high proportion of the identified ADRs were found to be preventable. More focused efforts are needed at the national level to avoid preventable ADRs in hospitals. Monitoring and management of ADRs and future studies would be beneficial for better patient care and safety.

Drug-induced liver injury and COVID-19: A review for clinical practice

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) consists of a systemic disease that can present many complications. The infection presents broad clinical symptoms and a high rate of transmissibility. In addition to severe acute respiratory syndrome, the patients manifest complications beyond the respiratory system. The frequency of liver damage in COVID-19 patients ranges from 14.8% to 53% of patients. One should pay attention to drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in patients with COVID-19, especially considering the off-label use of drugs in prophylactic and therapeutic regimens applied on large scales. This review aims to present relevant information on the medication used so far in COVID-19 patients and its possible hepatotoxicity. We reviewed liver damage in patients with COVID-19 on PubMed and Virtual Health Library to investigate DILI cases. Four studies were selected, involving the medicines remdesivir, tocilizumab and a pharmacovigilance analysis study. The hepatotoxicity profile of drugs presented in the literature considers use in accordance to usual posology standards for treatment. However, drugs currently used in the management of COVID-19 follow different dosages and posology than those tested by the pharmaceutical industry. The deficiency of uniformity and standardization in the assessment of hepatotoxicity cases hinders the publication of information and the possibility of comparing information among healthcare professionals. It is suggested that severe liver injury in COVID-19 patients should be reported in pharmacovigilance institutions, and physicians should pay attention to any considerable abnormal liver test elevation as it can demonstrate unknown drug hepatotoxicity. Liver disorders in COVID-19 patients and the use of several concomitant off-label medications — with a potential risk of further damaging the liver - should at least be a warning sign for rapid identification and early intervention, thus preventing liver damage from contributing to severe impairment in patients.

Circulatory Inflammatory Mediators in the Prediction of Anti-Tuberculous Drug-Induced Liver Injury Using RUCAM for Causality Assessment

BACKGROUND

Anti-tuberculous (TB) medications are common causes of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Limited data are available on systemic inflammatory mediators as biomarkers for predicting DILI before treatment. We aimed to select predictive markers among potential candidates and to formulate a predictive model of DILI for TB patients.

METHODS

Adult active TB patients from a prospective cohort were enrolled, and all participants received standard anti-tuberculous treatment. Development of DILI, defined as ≥5× ULN for alanine transaminase or ≥2.6× ULN of total bilirubin with causality assessment (RUCAM, Roussel Uclaf causality assessment method), was regularly monitored. Pre-treatment plasma was assayed for 15 candidates, and a set of risk prediction scores was established using Cox regression and receiver-operating characteristic analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 19 (7.9%) in 240 patients developed DILI (including six carriers of hepatitis B virus) following anti-TB treatment. Interleukin (IL)-22 binding protein (BP), interferon gamma-induced protein 1 (IP-10), soluble CD163 (sCD163), IL-6, and CD206 were significant univariable factors associated with DILI development, and the former three were backward selected as multivariable factors, with adjusted hazards of 0.20 (0.07-0.58), 3.71 (1.35-10.21), and 3.28 (1.07-10.06), respectively. A score set composed of IL-22BP, IP-10, and sCD163 had an improved area under the curve of 0.744 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-treatment IL-22BP was a protective biomarker against DILI development under anti-TB treatment, and a score set by additional risk factors of IP-10 and sCD163 employed an adequate DILI prediction.

Herbal Immune Booster-Induced Liver Injury in the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Case Series

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread use of complementary and alternative medicines. Tinospora cordifolia is a widely grown shrub which has been commonly used in India's traditional system of Ayurveda for its immune booster properties and has been extensively used as prophylaxis against COVID-19. Six patients (4 women, 2 men) with a median (IQR) age of 55 years (45-56) and with an history of Tinospora cordifolia consumption presented with symptoms of acute hepatitis during the study period of 4 months in the COVID-19 pandemic. The median (IQR) duration of Tinospora cordifolia consumption was 90 days (21-210). The median (IQR) peak bilirubin and AST were 17.5 mg/dl (12.2-24.9) and 1350 IU/ml (1099-1773), respectively. The patients had either a definite (n = 4) or probable (n = 2) revised autoimmune hepatitis score with an autoimmune pattern of drug-induced liver injury on biopsy. Four of these patients (all women) had underlying silent chronic liver disease of possible autoimmune etiology associated with other autoimmune diseases - hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes mellitus. One of the three patients treated with steroids decompensated on steroid tapering. The other five patients had resolution of symptoms, liver profile, and autoimmune serological markers on drug withdrawal/continuing steroid treatment. The median (IQR) time to resolution from discontinuing the herb was 86.5 days (53-111). Tinospora cordifolia consumption seems to induce an autoimmune-like hepatitis or unmask an underlying autoimmune chronic liver disease, which may support its immune stimulant mechanism. However, the same mechanism can cause significant liver toxicity, and we recommend that caution be exercised in the use of this herb, especially in those predisposed to autoimmune disorders. Besides, in patients presenting with acute hepatitis, even in the presence of autoimmune markers, a detailed complementary and alternative medicine history needs to be elicited.

Herb-induced Liver Injury in Asia and Current Role of RUCAM for Causality Assessment in 11,160 Published Cases

Herb-induced liver injuries (HILI) by traditional herbal medicines are particular challenges in Asian countries, with issues over the best approach to establish causality. The aim of the current analysis was to provide an overview on how causality was assessed in HILI cases from Asian countries and whether the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) was the preferred diagnostic algorithm, as shown before in worldwide evaluated cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Using the PubMed database, publications in English language were preferred to allow for reevaluation by peers. Overall 11,160 HILI cases have assessed causality using RUCAM and were published by first authors working in Asian countries. With 21 evaluable reports, most publications came from mainland China, with Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by Korea (n=15), Singapore (n=2), and Japan (n=1), while other Asian countries were not contributory. Most publications provided case and RUCAM data of good quality. For better presentation of future cases, however, the following recommendations are given: (1) preference of prospective study design with use of the updated RUCAM version; (2) clear separation of HILI cohorts from those of other herbal products or DILI; (3) case series for epidemiology studies should contain many essential data, possibly also as supplementary material; (4) otherwise, preference of single case reports providing individual case data and RUCAM-based causality gradings, and applying liver test threshold values; and (5) publication in English language journals. In conclusion, China and Korea are top in presenting RUCAM-based HILI cases, other Asian countries are encouraged to follow.

Epidemiology of drug-induced liver injury in a University Hospital from Colombia: Updated RUCAM being used for prospective causality assessment

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Epidemiological information regarding drug-induced liver injury in some Latin American countries remains limited. Therefore, disease prevention and health promotion strategies are imperative to reduce drug-induced liver injuries and its fatal outcomes. This study aimed to collect epidemiological data regarding drug-induced liver injury and identify associated factors in patients admitted to a university hospital in Colombia.

METHODS AND PATIENTS

A prospective study was conducted for 1 year to assess the incidence of drug-induced liver injury in patients aged >18 years who showed elevated values in liver tests. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent from the patients. The updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method was applied to assess the causality of drug-induced liver injury.

RESULTS

The study included 286 patients with elevated values in liver tests, 18 of whom presented with drug-induced liver injury. The mean age of patients was 54.7±19.1 years. The associated pharmacological groups were anti-infectives and anticonvulsants (isoniazid, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin, phenytoin, and valproic acid), with a total of 15 drugs. The affected patients presented with cytopenia, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, or hepatomegaly. The most common type of liver injury was hepatocellular, and most patients recovered satisfactorily. The number of patients who had highly probable and probable causality grading was 1 and 9, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of drug-induced liver injury in a university hospital in Colombia was 6%. Comorbidities and concomitant drugs are risk factors for drug-induced liver injury.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registered in The Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials (identifier RPCEC00000242).

Chinese Herbal Medicine Hepatotoxicity: The Evaluation and Recognization Based on Large-scale Evidence Database

Background:

Due to the special nature of Chinese Herbal medicine and the complexity of its clinical use, it is difficult to identify and evaluate its toxicity and resulting herb induced liver injury (HILI).

Methods:

First, the database would provide full profile of HILI from the basic ingredients to clinical out-comes by the most advanced algorithms of artificial intelligence, and it is also possible that we can predict possibilities of HILI after patients taking Chinese herbs by individual patient evaluation and prediction. Second, the database would solve the chaos and lack of the relevant data faced by the current basic re-search and clinical practice of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Third, we can also screen the susceptible patients from the database and thus prevent the accidents of HILI from the very beginning.

Results:

The Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) is the most accepted method to evalu-ate DILI, but at present before using the RUCAM evaluation method, data resource collection and analysis are yet to be perfected. Based on existing research on drug-metabolizing enzymes mediating reactive me-tabolites (RMs), the aim of this study is to explore the possibilities and methods of building multidimen-sional hierarchical database composing of RMs evidence library, Chinese herbal evidence library, and indi-vidualized reports evidence library of herb induced liver injury HILI.

Conclusion:

The potential benefits lie in its ability to organize, use vast amounts of evidence and use big data mining techniques at the center for Chinese herbal medicine liver toxicity research, which is the most difficult key point of scientific research to be investigated in the next few years.

Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method for Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Present and Future

Among the causality assessment methods used for the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) remains the most widely used not only for individual cases but also for prospective and retrospective studies worldwide. This first place is justified by the characteristics of the method such as precise definition and classification of the liver injury, which determines the right scale in the scoring system, precise definition of the seven criteria, and the validation approach based on cases with positive rechallenge. RUCAM is used not only for any types of drugs but also for herbal medicines causing herb-induced liver injury, (HILI) and dietary supplements. In 2016, the updated RUCAM provided further specifications of criteria and instructions to improve interobserver variability. Although this method was criticized for criteria such as the age and alcohol consumption, recent consensus meeting of experts has recognized their value and recommended their incorporation into any method. While early studies searching for DILI in large databases especially in electronic medical records were based on codes of diseases or natural language without causality assessment, the recommendation is now to include RUCAM in the search for DILI/HILI. There are still studies on DILI detection or the identification of biomarkers that take into consideration the cases assessed as “possible,” although it is well known that these cases reduce the strength of the association between the cases and the offending compound or the new biomarker to be validated. Attempts to build electronic RUCAM or automatized application of this method were successful despite some weaknesses to be corrected. In the future, more reflections are needed on an expert system to standardize the exclusion of alternative causes according to the clinical context. Education and training on RUCAM should be encouraged to improve the results of the studies and the day-to-day work in pharmacovigilance departments in companies or in regulatory agencies. It is also expected to improve RUCAM with biomarkers or other criteria provided that the validation process replaces expert opinion by robust standards such as those used for the original method.

Idiosyncratic DILI: Analysis of 46,266 Cases Assessed for Causality by RUCAM and Published From 2014 to Early 2019

One of the most difficult challenges in clinical hepatology is the diagnosis of a drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The timing of the events, exclusion of alternative causes, and taking into account the clinical context should be systematically assessed and scored in a transparent manner. RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) is a well-established diagnostic algorithm and scale to assess causality in patients with suspected DILI. First published in 1993 and updated in 2016, RUCAM is now the worldwide most commonly used causality assessment method (CAM) for DILI. The following manuscript highlights the recent implementation of RUCAM around the world, by reviewing the literature for publications that utilized RUCAM, and provides a review of “best practices” for the use of RUCAM in cases of suspected DILI. The worldwide appreciation of RUCAM is substantiated by the current analysis of 46,266 DILI cases, all tested for causality using RUCAM. These cases derived from 31 reports published from 2014 to early 2019. Their first authors came from 10 countries, with China on top, followed by the US, and Germany on the third rank. Importantly, all RUCAM-based DILI reports were published in high profile journals. Many other reports were published earlier from 1993 up to 2013 in support of RUCAM. Although most of the studies were of high quality, the current case analysis revealed shortcomings in few studies, not at the level of RUCAM itself but rather associated with the work of the users. To ensure in future DILI cases a better performance by the users, a list of essential elements is proposed. As an example, all suspected DILI cases should be evaluated 1) by the updated RUCAM to facilitate result comparisons, 2) according to a prospective study protocol to ensure complete data sets, 3) after exclusion of cases with herb induced liver injury (HILI) from a DILI cohort to prevent confounding variables, and 4) according to inclusion of DILI cases with RUCAM-based causality gradings of highly probable or probable, in order to increase the specificity of the results. In conclusion, RUCAM benefits from its high appreciation and performs well provided the users adhere to published recommendations to prevent confounding variability.

Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method for Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Present and Future

Among the causality assessment methods used for the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) remains the most widely used not only for individual cases but also for prospective and retrospective studies worldwide. This first place is justified by the characteristics of the method such as precise definition and classification of the liver injury, which determines the right scale in the scoring system, precise definition of the seven criteria, and the validation approach based on cases with positive rechallenge. RUCAM is used not only for any types of drugs but also for herbal medicines causing herb-induced liver injury, (HILI) and dietary supplements. In 2016, the updated RUCAM provided further specifications of criteria and instructions to improve interobserver variability. Although this method was criticized for criteria such as the age and alcohol consumption, recent consensus meeting of experts has recognized their value and recommended their incorporation into any method. While early studies searching for DILI in large databases especially in electronic medical records were based on codes of diseases or natural language without causality assessment, the recommendation is now to include RUCAM in the search for DILI/HILI. There are still studies on DILI detection or the identification of biomarkers that take into consideration the cases assessed as "possible," although it is well known that these cases reduce the strength of the association between the cases and the offending compound or the new biomarker to be validated. Attempts to build electronic RUCAM or automatized application of this method were successful despite some weaknesses to be corrected. In the future, more reflections are needed on an expert system to standardize the exclusion of alternative causes according to the clinical context. Education and training on RUCAM should be encouraged to improve the results of the studies and the day-to-day work in pharmacovigilance departments in companies or in regulatory agencies. It is also expected to improve RUCAM with biomarkers or other criteria provided that the validation process replaces expert opinion by robust standards such as those used for the original method.

Idiosyncratic DILI: Analysis of 46,266 Cases Assessed for Causality by RUCAM and Published From 2014 to Early 2019

One of the most difficult challenges in clinical hepatology is the diagnosis of a drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The timing of the events, exclusion of alternative causes, and taking into account the clinical context should be systematically assessed and scored in a transparent manner. RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) is a well-established diagnostic algorithm and scale to assess causality in patients with suspected DILI. First published in 1993 and updated in 2016, RUCAM is now the worldwide most commonly used causality assessment method (CAM) for DILI. The following manuscript highlights the recent implementation of RUCAM around the world, by reviewing the literature for publications that utilized RUCAM, and provides a review of "best practices" for the use of RUCAM in cases of suspected DILI. The worldwide appreciation of RUCAM is substantiated by the current analysis of 46,266 DILI cases, all tested for causality using RUCAM. These cases derived from 31 reports published from 2014 to early 2019. Their first authors came from 10 countries, with China on top, followed by the US, and Germany on the third rank. Importantly, all RUCAM-based DILI reports were published in high profile journals. Many other reports were published earlier from 1993 up to 2013 in support of RUCAM. Although most of the studies were of high quality, the current case analysis revealed shortcomings in few studies, not at the level of RUCAM itself but rather associated with the work of the users. To ensure in future DILI cases a better performance by the users, a list of essential elements is proposed. As an example, all suspected DILI cases should be evaluated 1) by the updated RUCAM to facilitate result comparisons, 2) according to a prospective study protocol to ensure complete data sets, 3) after exclusion of cases with herb induced liver injury (HILI) from a DILI cohort to prevent confounding variables, and 4) according to inclusion of DILI cases with RUCAM-based causality gradings of highly probable or probable, in order to increase the specificity of the results. In conclusion, RUCAM benefits from its high appreciation and performs well provided the users adhere to published recommendations to prevent confounding variability.

Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Why is the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) Still Used 25 Years After Its Launch?

Launched in 1993 and partially based on the results of an international consensus meeting organized under the auspices of the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) is the most used causality assessment tool worldwide for the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and herb-induced liver injury (HILI) in a large number of epidemiological studies, case reports, and case series. The 25-year experience of RUCAM use confirmed that the success was due to its objective, standardized, and liver-injury-specific approach structured with defined key elements derived from a series of DILI cases with positive rechallenge. Using this series, the validation procedure avoided arbitrary definitions and confirmed scores to key items. The algorithm provides a quantitative causality grading of highly probable, probable, possible, unlikely, or excluded relationship between the liver injury and the suspected product(s). Despite challenges, prospective use of RUCAM fosters case data completeness and transparent causality adjudication in real time, as opposed to subjective opinion resulting from several rounds by experts lacking defined key elements and scores. In 2016, RUCAM was updated with specification of alcohol use and Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) biomarkers and simplified item handling to further reduce inter-observer variability. RUCAM-based probable and highly probable DILI and HILI cases are essential for the detection of new hepatotoxins, confirmation of new biomarkers, description of clinical features and risk factors, and determination of incidence in pharmacoepidemiological studies. This article is intended to encourage systematic use of sophisticated causality assessment methods such as RUCAM to improve DILI and HILI case evaluation and to increase confidence in published cases.

Top-ranking drugs out of 3312 drug-induced liver injury cases evaluated by the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method

INTRODUCTION

A list presenting a valid ranking of drugs most commonly implicated is hardly to be found. Areas covered: Published cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) with verified causality using RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) were used for a ranking of drugs most commonly implicated in causing DILI. Expert opinion: RUCAM-based DILI cases were retrieved from 15 reports published by six international databases of DILI registries and three large medical centers, which provided 3312 cases. Overall 48 drugs with the highest number of DILI cases were listed. Among the top 10 ranking drugs implicated in causing DILI were, in decreasing order: amoxicillin-clavulanate, flucloxacilllin, atorvastatin, disulfiram, diclofenac, simvastatin, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, erythromycin, and anabolic steroids as bodybuilding agents. For these 10 drugs, respective DILI case numbers were highest for Amoxicillin-clavulanate (n=333) and lowest for anabolic steroids (n=26). The author classifies the databases of national DILI registries and large medical centers as best sources of drugs implicated in DILI. Presently discouraged is the use of the LiverTox website because many cases were derived from published cases of poor quality and could previously not be classified as DILI, calling for the inclusion of DILI cases with established causality by the updated RUCAM.

Emerging Therapeutic Targets and Experimental Drugs for the Treatment of NAFLD

The two main subsets of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) include: (1) nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), the more common and non-progressive subtype; and (2) nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the less common subtype, which has the potential to progress to advanced liver damage. Current treatment strategies have focused on lifestyle management of modifiable risk factors, namely weight, and on the optimization of the management of individual components of metabolic syndrome. Various hypothetical pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed, leading to the development of novel drugs with the potential to effectively treat patients with NASH. Numerous clinical trials are ongoing, utilizing these experimental drugs and molecules targeting specific mechanistic pathway(s) to effectively treat NASH. Some of these mechanistic pathways targeted by experimental pharmacologic agents include chemokine receptor 2 and 5 antagonism, inhibition of galectin-3 protein, antagonism of toll-like receptor 4, variation of fibroblast growth factor 19, agonism of selective thyroid hormone receptor-beta, inhibition of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, inhibition of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, agonism of farnesoid X receptor, antibodies against lysl oxidase-like-2, and inhibition of inflammasomes. Emerging data are promising and further updates from ongoing clinical trials are eagerly awaited.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herb-induced Liver Injury: Comparison with Drug-induced Liver Injury

Cases of suspected herb-induced liver injury (HILI) caused by herbal Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) and of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) are commonly published in the scientific literature worldwide. As opposed to the multiplicity of botanical chemicals in herbal TCM products, which are often mixtures of several herbs, conventional Western drugs contain only a single synthetic chemical. It is therefore of interest to study how HILI by TCM and DILI compare with each other, and to what extent results from each liver injury type can be transferred to the other. China is among the few countries with a large population using synthetic Western drugs as well as herbal TCM. Therefore, China is well suited to studies of liver injury comparing drugs with TCM herbs. Despite some concordance, recent analyses of liver injury cases with verified causality, using the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method, revealed major differences in HILI caused by TCMs as compared to DILI with respect to the following features: HILI cases are less frequently observed as compared to DILI, have a smaller proportion of females and less unintentional rechallenge events, and present a higher rate of hepatocellular injury features. Since many results were obtained among Chinese residents who had access to and had used Western drugs and TCM herbs, such ethnic homogeneity supports the contention that the observed differences of HILI and DILI in the assessed population are well founded.