Ethnic medicines look forward to benefiting from the policy dividends of the "Traditional Chinese Medicine Law."

　　“Support the development of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine.” Following its “explicit mention” in the 2017 Government Work Report at the Two Sessions, the development of ethnic medicines is now poised to seize new opportunities.

　　As a leading figure in the ethnic medicine industry and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Lei Jufang, Chairwoman of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine (002287.SZ), has submitted several proposals this year. A reporter from Times Weekly noted that her most highly regarded proposal is “Proposal on Suggesting the Priority Development of a Catalog of Classic Prescriptions for Ethnic Medicines and Approving Their Commercial Development.”

　　“I hope that through relentless efforts, our company can maintain its leading position in the field of ethnic medicine while also driving the development of the entire industry. But what I’m even more looking forward to is that, with the concerted efforts of numerous ethnic medicine enterprises, consumers will one day eagerly embrace ethnic medicine products—ultimately bringing about consumers’ health, peace of mind, and the robust growth and expansion of the entire ethnic medicine industry,” said Lei Jufang in an exclusive interview with a reporter from Times Weekly.

　　Competing for the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine policies

　　In 2016, the "Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine" was promulgated amid widespread public attention, explicitly stating: “The term ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ as used in this Law refers to the collective designation of the medical systems of all ethnic groups in China, including both Han and minority ethnic medicines. It is a medical system that reflects the Chinese nation’s understanding of life, health, and disease, and boasts a long-standing historical tradition as well as unique theoretical and technical approaches.”

　　“This represents significant support and impetus for the development of traditional ethnic medicine. The law also emphasizes the development of time-tested, classic prescriptions from ancient times—marking the first time such emphasis has been elevated to a legal level,” Lei Jufang told a reporter from Times Weekly.

　　As is well known, ethnic medicines represented by Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur, and other minority groups possess a well-developed medical theoretical system and extensive classical texts. Data show that currently, the number of classic prescriptions from Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur, Dai, Yao, Zhuang, and Kazakh medicine—each counted at an average of 150 per ethnic group—totals roughly 1,050. Regrettably, however, only a few dozen of these have been developed into officially approved Chinese medicinal products bearing national drug registration numbers.

　　“We urge the authorities in charge of traditional Chinese medicine and the drug regulatory agencies to, in accordance with the spirit of the ‘Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine,’ prioritize the compilation, cataloging, formulation, approval, and development of ancient ethnic classic prescriptions that are still widely used today, have proven efficacy, and possess distinct characteristics and advantages,” Lei Jufang told a reporter from Times Weekly.

　　To strengthen the development of ethnic medicines, Lei Jufang suggests that, under the unified guidance of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the national associations of ethnic medicine industries should be entrusted with organizing experts to draft selection criteria for classic prescriptions from various ethnic groups and compile a corresponding catalog. This catalog would then be jointly reviewed and approved by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Medical Products Administration, with priority given to approving their development and utilization.

　　She also emphasized that when drafting the technical guidelines for the registration of time-honored ethnic formulas, the National Medical Products Administration and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine should fully take into account the distinctive features of commonly used dosage forms in ethnic medicines, allow for the preservation of these unique characteristics during development, and avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

　　Call for accelerating the pace of industrial development.

　　In February 2017, China introduced a new version of its National Reimbursement Drug List. In this list, the proportions of Western medicines and traditional Chinese medicines reached 51% and 49%, respectively, essentially leveling off. Relevant authorities specially convened experts in ethnic minority medicine to evaluate traditional medicines used by ethnic groups such as the Tibetan and Mongolian peoples. As a result, 41 new ethnic medicines were added, representing a 90% increase—a growth rate significantly higher than that of other drugs.

　　Even so, the market share and industrial scale of traditional ethnic medicines remain relatively small. “Right now, the market size for ethnic medicines isn’t very large—its capacity is only around 4 billion yuan,” Lei Jufang said in an interview with a reporter from Times Weekly.

　　According to Lei Jufang, currently natural medicines are still dominated by traditional Chinese medicine, with ethnic medicines accounting for less than 1%. Moreover, the market development of ethnic medicines is relatively limited within the field of traditional Chinese medicine, and there are numerous obstacles hindering their industrialization.

　　“From a registration perspective, there are two major challenges—equivalent to market access and product approval—that ethnic medicines are facing,” Lei Jufang told a reporter from Times Weekly.

　　Moreover, if following clinical pathways, the financial investment would be enormous and the process would take a very long time—both of which pose significant challenges to the development of ethnic medicine enterprises. “If clinical trials could be waived, it would remove one of the biggest burdens for pharmaceutical companies.”

　　Lei Jufang stated that the growth and development of ethnic medicines is a process driven by market recognition. Enterprises will also step up their marketing efforts to ensure that more patients, doctors, and hospitals become aware of, understand, and trust ethnic medicines. “We are also seeking policy support to further promote the development of ethnic medicines.”

　　Reporting media: Times Weekly

　　Report link: http://www.time-weekly.com/html/20170314/36663_1.html