The Tibetan Medicine Integrated Innovation Project Has Been Selected for the National Science and Technology Support Program.

　　— Tibetan medicine enterprises become the main players in independent innovation and take the lead in implementing projects.

　　Recently, under the auspices of the Science and Technology Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the key project of the 11th Five-Year National Science and Technology Support Program—“Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine”—was officially signed and launched in Lhasa. The project has received national funding support totaling 17.57 million yuan. The “Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine” is jointly undertaken by Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, the Plateau Biology Research Institute of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Food and Drug Inspection Institute of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the Tibetan Medicine Research Institute of the Tibet Autonomous Region. This project marks one of the first major national science and technology support initiatives to be implemented in Tibet, and also represents the first time that a single national key science and technology support project in Tibet has received funding exceeding 10 million yuan.

　　The Tibetan medicine industry is a growth-oriented sector in Tibet as well as in Tibetan areas of other provinces such as Gansu and Yunnan. It is also one of Tibet’s three pillar industries. As the global health trend shifts toward nature and green practices, the Tibetan medicine industry is emerging as a carrier of Tibetan culture and technological advancement, gradually expanding into both the domestic and international markets. A range of traditional Tibetan medicinal products—time-tested and passed down through history—have demonstrated tremendous market potential by virtue of their safety, efficacy, and solid reputation in addressing common and challenging diseases, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, liver and gallbladder ailments, digestive problems, rheumatic conditions, gynecological diseases, and geriatric illnesses.

　　However, historically, traditional Tibetan medicines have been produced in small batches and multiple runs by hand. The most common dosage form—water pills—is made by directly incorporating raw medicinal powders into the formulation. During production, these powders are layered with water and then naturally air-dried to form the pills. Pills made this way tend to absorb moisture easily and are extremely hard, leading to market issues such as substandard moisture content and disintegration time. Given the relatively late start of the modern Tibetan medicine industry and its current lack of extensive industrial experience, variations in pill weight, hygiene standards, moisture content, and disintegration time have become common technical challenges that urgently need to be overcome for the modernization and industrialization of Tibetan medicine. To achieve significant progress and contribute effectively to the socio-economic development, the Tibetan medicine industry must, while preserving and passing on its traditional core manufacturing techniques, collectively tackle these key challenges at the industrial level.

　　To implement the important spirit of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China—upholding the equal importance of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and supporting the development of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine—the eleven national ministries and commissions jointly issued a guiding document titled "Guiding Opinions on Effectively Strengthening the Development of Ethnic Medicine," which outlines the development strategy for the current period and the coming years. After several rigorous reviews conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the project "Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine" was selected as one of the first key projects under the Eleventh Five-Year National Science and Technology Support Program. The project "Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine" represents a milestone in the history of Tibetan medicine—a landmark achievement toward modernization and industrialization.

　　As one of the priority themes under the "National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Science and Technology Development," the project "Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine" focuses on key links across the entire Tibetan medicine industrial chain. By driving industrial breakthroughs through integrated innovation in common, critical technologies for Tibetan medicine production, the project aims to advance the standardization, modernization, and industrialization of Tibetan medicine. The project encompasses a range of activities, including the cultivation and protection of Tibetan medicinal herbs, research and establishment of quality standards for Tibetan medicinal materials and finished Tibetan medicines, development of new Tibetan medicines and secondary development of traditional, time-tested Tibetan formulations, safety evaluation of finished Tibetan medicines, and integrated innovation in common, critical technologies for Tibetan medicine production— all aimed at fostering the standardized, modernized, and industrialized development of Tibetan medicine.

　　The research and demonstration project on key technologies for the modernization of Tibetan medicine will integrate multidisciplinary approaches and combine the resources of Tibetan regions with those of inland China to carry out various research topics. It will both preserve the traditional experience and clinical practices of Tibetan medicine and leverage advanced, cutting-edge scientific and technological methods and tools, adhering strictly to rigorous standards and specifications. The goal is to develop a new generation of Tibetan medicines that are high-quality, highly effective, safe, stable, quality-controlled, easy to take, and available in modern dosage forms. These novel Tibetan medicines will feature high technological content and embody the principles of “three efficacies” (high efficacy, rapid onset of action, and long-lasting effects), “three smalls” (small dosage, low toxicity, and minimal side effects), and “three conveniences” (easy storage, convenient portability, and simple administration). They will meet and align with the product standards and requirements of mainstream international pharmaceutical markets, thereby breaking through the technological and market bottlenecks that have limited the Tibetan medicine industry to producing only a few high-value-added products with superior dosage forms. This initiative will also help to refine and extend the Tibetan medicine industrial chain, enhancing the overall core competitiveness of the Tibetan medicine sector.

　　As a leading representative of Tibetan medicine enterprises, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has been at the forefront of modernizing and innovating Tibetan pharmaceutical technologies since its establishment. The company’s commitment to both inheriting and innovating has become the two key pillars driving its development. Over the past decade and more, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has supported the publication of specialized academic works on Tibetan medicine, systematically organizing and disseminating the essence of Tibetan medical scholarship; established traditional Tibetan medicine schools to promote the transmission and preservation of Tibetan medical wisdom and experience; and, even in the absence of mandatory requirements in the National Pharmacopoeia, strictly adhered to GMP standards while simultaneously maintaining and integrating traditional preparation techniques into modern production processes, thereby faithfully replicating and passing down the profound essence of Tibetan medicines. Leveraging advanced technologies, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has screened classic prescriptions and developed a series of innovative patented Tibetan medicines, including the Qizheng Pain Relief Patch, which has ranked first in national market sales for several consecutive years. Over the past decade and more, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has achieved numerous industry firsts through technological innovation: it was the first Tibetan medicine enterprise to obtain national GMP certification, the first to adopt film-coating technology in the production of oral Tibetan medicines, thus transforming the traditional Tibetan medicine’s appearance—long considered bulky, dark, and coarse—after thousands of years. On its journey of independent innovation, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has secured 19 international and domestic patents, received the Second Prize for National Scientific and Technological Progress, won the International Invention Gold Award, been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, and included in the National List of Confidential Medicines. The company has achieved breakthrough after breakthrough in the history of Tibetan medicine technology, building up a systematic and professional capacity for innovation in R&D and manufacturing. In 2006, as the sole Tibetan medicine enterprise, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine was selected as one of the nation’s first pilot enterprises for innovation. That same year, it was jointly recognized by five national ministries—including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology—as a National-level Enterprise Technology Center.

　　After rigorous screening by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Science and Technology Department of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has taken the lead in implementing the “Research and Demonstration on Key Technologies for the Modernization of Tibetan Medicine” thanks to its relatively mature and independent innovation capabilities within the industry. Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has consistently and proactively participated in and promoted systematic demonstration research on Tibetan medicine, continuously investing in production technology innovation. It has been a pioneer in applying advanced technologies such as “vacuum homogenization emulsification,” “centrifugal spray drying,” and “transdermal absorption” to Tibetan medicine production, thereby achieving the integration of traditional Tibetan medicine manufacturing with modern, cutting-edge pharmaceutical technologies. In response to common key technical challenges facing the Tibetan medicine industry, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has, through years of exploration, successfully developed advanced pharmaceutical technologies including automated tablet-making technology for whole powders and low-temperature pulverization technology. It has also conducted research on rapid sterilization of herbal raw materials and finished Tibetan medicines—both non-irradiation and other methods—and has accumulated valuable experience in industrial innovation. The integrated innovation project on Tibetan medicine has been selected for inclusion in the National Science and Technology Support Program. These critical, common production technologies that have long plagued the Tibetan medicine industry will be systematically addressed and overcome collectively. Once a complete set of process technologies is established, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine plans to first implement these innovations internally within its own company; after three to five years of refinement and maturation, the technologies will then be widely adopted across the entire industry.

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