Qizheng Tibetan Medicine is promoting the identification of key disease areas where ethnic medicines excel. Chairwoman Lei Jufang calls for making clinically valuable products readily available.

　　Recently, the kickoff meeting for the 2019 National Key R&D Program project titled “Demonstration Development Study on the Use of Classic Tibetan Medicines—Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Bai Mai Ointment—in the Treatment of Bai Mai Disease, a Major Tibetan Medical Condition” was held in Beijing. According to available information, this study is the only project under the 2019 National Key R&D Program’s “Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research” key special initiative that focuses specifically on developing drugs for the prevention and treatment of major diseases centered around classic ethnic medicines. It also marks the first time that an integrated approach involving medicine, industry, academia, and research—combining Tibetan, Chinese, and Western medical practices—has been employed to explore solutions for major neurological disorders by tapping into the unique therapeutic advantages of Tibetan medicine.

　　The R&D Director of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, the leading enterprise of this project, revealed that the project is expected to require an investment of over 29 million yuan, of which more than 6 million yuan will be provided by the national government. Liu Kailie, President of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, noted that the successful implementation of this project is anticipated to double product sales.

　　Further Uncovering the Core Product Value

　　“The launch of this project will help expand the market for ethnic medicines. A path that Tibetan medicine has consistently pursued is to go beyond the Tibetan region, meet the needs of a wider population, and gain greater recognition from the outside world,” said Liu Kailie, President of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine.

　　It is understood that Bai Mai Ointment is one of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine’s flagship products. Previously, during an investor survey, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine noted that, in addition to the steady growth of its core product, the Xiantong Patch, the company’s Bai Mai Ointment—a topical ointment—has also demonstrated strong growth momentum. Bai Mai Ointment is the only topical ointment approved by the National Medical Products Administration for promoting the rehabilitation of limb functions, and it is the first domestically developed topical medication used for pain relief and stroke rehabilitation in the treatment of neurological disorders.

　　According to reporters, "Bai Mai Bing" is a term used in Tibetan medicine that can be roughly understood as neurological disorders, such as stroke and peripheral neuritis. Bai Mai Bing is a common ailment in high-altitude regions. Over the long-term struggle against this disease, Tibetan physicians have accumulated extensive clinical experience, making Bai Mai Bing one of the signature specialties of Tibetan medicine.

　　“Numerous clinical practices have demonstrated that Tibetan medicine’s traditional methods of internal administration and external treatments are highly effective in the treatment of Bai Mai disease, with a clinical history spanning thousands of years. However, due to significant differences between Tibetan and Western medicine in terms of evidence-based approaches, insufficient basic research on the mechanisms of action of Tibetan medicines, and a lack of modern studies supporting the necessity of combined drug therapies, the rational and standardized promotion and application of Tibetan medicine’s classic therapeutic drugs and distinctive treatment techniques nationwide have been greatly hampered. Therefore, conducting research centered on Bai Mai disease is extremely necessary,” said a representative from Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Company. The aforementioned project will target conditions such as acute ischemic stroke (AIS), which represents central nervous system injury, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), which involves peripheral nerve damage, and will explore clinically advantageous integrated treatment regimens derived from Tibetan medicine’s traditional remedies.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine products entering the market attract attention.

　　How to interpret the value of traditional Chinese medicine using modern science has always been a focal point in the industry.

　　It is understood that the “Demonstration Development Study on the Treatment of Baimai Disease—a Major Tibetan Medical Condition—by the Classic Tibetan Medicines Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment” comprises five research groups, including: basic theoretical studies on the formulations of the classic Tibetan medicines Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment and their related diseases; modern pharmacological studies on Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment; metabolic and toxicological studies on Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment; establishment of a comprehensive quality standard system covering the entire production chain for Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment; and clinical studies on the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and diabetic peripheral neuropathy using Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment.

　　“This project will help promote innovation and modernization of ethnic medicines,” industry insiders believe. According to Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, once the project’s research is completed, a comprehensive management platform and technical evaluation system integrating Tibetan medicine formula combinations, mechanisms of action, pharmacological and toxicological profiles, quality enhancement, and clinical studies will be established. This will enable end-to-end drug research across the entire chain, filling gaps in clinical treatment while comprehensively improving the quality of Tibetan medicines and providing a model for the subsequent development of other Tibetan medicinal products.

　　It is worth noting that the 2019 revised National Drug List stipulates that, in accordance with the requirements of the “Notice on Issuing the First Batch of National Key Monitoring List of Rational Drug Use (Chemical Drugs and Biological Products)” issued by the General Office of the National Health Commission and the Office of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, prescriptions for proprietary Chinese medicines and traditional Chinese medicine decoctions prescribed by physicians holding the appropriate qualifications will be reimbursable by the fund as per regulations. This has been interpreted by outside observers as meaning that “Western medicine practitioners are not allowed to prescribe proprietary Chinese medicines.”

　　In this regard, Lei Jufang, Chairperson of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, explained that the policy direction is positive and aimed at ensuring the rational use of medications. In the future, products with genuine clinical value will continue to have a market. According to the regulations, physicians from other specialties, after undergoing at least one year of systematic study in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expertise and passing the required assessment, may prescribe proprietary Chinese medicines in accordance with the fundamental principles of TCM’s syndrome differentiation and treatment. We also hope that the policy can be accelerated further, enabling patients to access truly valuable medications.

　　Reporting media: Securities Daily

　　Report link: http://m.zqrb.cn/gscy/gongsi/2020-02-04/A1580800239466.html