Safety, effectiveness and quality are vital to the success of
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the global market. But
collaboration is also essential for commercial success and to make
a greater contribution to human health, agreed scientists and
government officials at a biology and medicine forum in Shanghai on
Sunday. It was the first day of the three-day conference, which
more than 600 scientists, investors and entrepreneurs are
attending.
"The study of Chinese medicine could be a new paradigm for the
development of medicine and to facilitate the current mainstream
approach in drug discovery," said Professor Cheng Yungchi, of the
Yale University School of Medicine.
An internationally renowned leader in the fields of cancer and
viral pharmacology, Cheng recently developed an interest in the use
of TCM for the treatment of cancer. Currently, five chemical
entities that were discovered in his laboratory are under clinical
trials for the treatment of cancer, Hepatitis B virus and human
immunodeficiency virus.
Cheng said that the world is seeking multiple chemicals
targeting multiple sites. Chinese herbal medicine, which falls into
this category and has been proven effective for hundreds of years,
could be useful in fulfilling unmet needs of medicine in the
future.
According to Chen Zhu, vice president of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, US$16 billion worth of medicine made of
natural materials was sold last year. Sales are increasing at an
average annual rate of 10 percent a year. "Global demand is also
providing enormous opportunities for TCM," he said.
However, Cheng noted, to globalize Chinese medicine and promote
TCM study scientists must work together to demonstrate its clinical
efficacy based on evidence. It is important to make consistent
preparations with respect to clinical efficacy using objective
quality control methodology.
Equally critical is replacing complex and unfriendly formulas
with those that are simple and user-friendly.
"Given recent advances in our knowledge about human diseases and
physiology, as well as the development of modern technology and
information, we can expect to meet all those requirements," he
said.
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During the three-day forum, 60 scientists will present their latest
research on TCM.
(China Daily July 26, 2004)