Qizheng Tibetan Medicine undertakes a national key special project; national strength boosts the development of the Tibetan medicine industry.

　　Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology released the list of proposed projects for the 2019 key special project on “Modernization Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine.” The project submitted by Qizheng Tibetan Medicine—“Research on Drugs for the Prevention and Treatment of Major Diseases or Predominant Conditions in Tibetan Medicine”—was included in the list of proposed projects.

　　The “Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research” special project is a key R&D program under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 13th Five-Year Plan. It encompasses six major areas: inheritance and innovation of TCM theories, prevention and treatment of major diseases using TCM, assurance of Chinese medicinal resources, technological demonstration of the TCM-based health industry, internationalization of TCM, and inheritance and innovation of ethnic medicines.

　　Research on Tibetan medicine for the prevention and treatment of major diseases or condition-specific advantageous diseases aims to achieve both the inheritance and innovation of ethnic medicine, establish a comprehensive R&D platform for Tibetan medicine, and focus on key products—including selected Tibetan medicinal varieties and classic Tibetan medicine formulas—centered around the prevention and treatment of major diseases or condition-specific advantageous diseases. This research will involve demonstration development studies, clarify the clinical indications of these products, conduct safety and efficacy evaluations, and carry out studies on formulation and quality-control technologies, thereby providing evidence for the rational use of Tibetan medicine in clinical practice.

　　The public notice shows that the name of the project submitted by Qizheng Tibetan Medicine is “Demonstration Development Study on the Use of Classic Tibetan Medicines Ruyi Zhenbao Tablets and Baimai Ointment for the Treatment of Baimai Disease, a Major Tibetan Medical Condition.” The project code is 2019YFC1712400.

　　The white-pulse disease, a key condition in Tibetan medicine, holds great research value.

　　Bai Mai Bing is a term used in Tibetan medicine that can be loosely understood as neurological disorders, such as stroke. Bai Mai Bing is a common ailment in high-altitude regions; the cold, hypoxic climate of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau causes the incidence rate of Bai Mai Bing among its inhabitants to be three to five times higher than in lowland areas. Through 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.

　　A wealth of clinical practice has demonstrated that the traditional internal and external therapeutic approaches of Tibetan medicine are highly effective in treating white-pulse disease and have been used in clinical settings for thousands of years. However, due to significant differences between Tibetan medicine and Western medicine in terms of evidence-based methodologies, insufficient basic research on the mechanisms of drug action, and a lack of modern studies supporting the necessity of combined drug therapies, the rational and standardized promotion and application of classic Tibetan medicinal remedies and distinctive therapeutic techniques nationwide have been greatly hindered. Therefore, conducting research centered on white-pulse disease is indeed highly necessary.

　　A research system that combines upholding integrity with innovation

　　Tibetan medicine, with its millennia-long heritage, boasts a comprehensive theoretical system, unique diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and reliable solutions for specific disease categories. According to the introduction, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine’s current application project highlights pharmaceutical research, mechanistic studies, safety evaluations, and evidence-based research guided by Tibetan medical theory. The project adopts a technological approach that integrates Tibetan and Western medicine, emphasizing both the inheritance, exploration, and innovation of classic Tibetan medical theories related to the White Pulse Disease, while fully leveraging modern technologies to conduct basic and clinical research on selected traditional Tibetan medicines for oral and topical treatments of this condition—particularly focusing on clinical positioning and evidence-based studies. Additionally, while taking into account the sustainable research of core medicinal material resources, the project places special emphasis on tackling key technical challenges in the industry, such as particle size control in Tibetan medicine ointments and sterilization of oral formulations, thereby establishing a comprehensive, multi-level technical evaluation system spanning the entire chain.

　　This project features several innovative aspects, such as the first-ever establishment of a clinical research system that integrates Tibetan medical theory, pharmacological mechanisms, and evidence-based medicine into a unified framework; the first-ever development of a mechanism and clinical evaluation method for the safety and efficacy of internal regulation combined with external treatment; and the first-ever application of domestically leading processing technologies and quality-control indicators to address technical challenges in Tibetan medicine production, including issues like sterilization failures and particle size exceeding standards.

　　Gather China's leading research strengths.

　　The leading enterprise of this project, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, is a frontrunner in China’s Tibetan medicine industry. It has consistently been committed to modernizing traditional Tibetan medicine and is among the first batch of national-level innovative enterprises and a national-level enterprise technology center. The company boasts over 200 R&D and technical personnel, holds 111 authorized invention patents, and is the largest Tibetan medicine enterprise in China in terms of sales volume, with the highest level of investment in innovation and R&D, as well as the most extensive involvement in national science and technology projects.

　　The joint applicant organizations for this project all have longstanding cooperative relationships with Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, built on a solid foundation of collaboration. Moreover, these institutions—among them the leading Tibetan medicine institution, the Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Hospital, and Tibet University of Tibetan Medicine; Central South University of Nationalities, a domestic leader in ethnic medicine research; Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, which represents the highest standard in China’s neuroscience field; and the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the country’s premier institution for research on traditional Chinese medicine—all boast advanced research capabilities. These institutions have all maintained long-term scientific research partnerships with Qizheng Tibetan Medicine. For instance, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has previously conducted numerous clinical drug studies in collaboration with the Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Hospital, as well as research projects on Tibetan medical external treatment techniques for cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Since 2012, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine has been collaborating with Central South University of Nationalities on various research initiatives, including analysis of Tibetan medicinal ingredients, upgrading of quality standards, and exploration of modern mechanisms underlying Tibetan yellow-water disease. Together, they have also jointly undertaken key scientific research projects under the 13th Five-Year Plan’s national “Major New Drug Development” initiative. Additionally, in 2009, with approval from the Tibet Science and Technology Department, Qizheng Tibetan Medicine, together with Tibet University of Tibetan Medicine and the Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Hospital, established the Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, which has consistently produced abundant scientific research results each year.

　　It is foreseeable that, as the project takes shape and various institutions work closely together, a comprehensive technical research system and a high-level R&D platform integrating multidisciplinary expertise—from medicine, industry, academia, and research—and drawing on China's leading institutions will be established, thereby creating a modern, integrated research base for Tibetan medicine. Through systematic studies encompassing formulation theory, clinical application guidelines, optimization of preparation processes, refinement of draft quality standards, and evaluation of safety and efficacy, this initiative will set a benchmark for Tibetan medicine research.

　　“The successful submission of the project is a testament to the state’s recognition of the company’s innovative model, an acknowledgment of the strength of both the company and its partner organizations, and, above all, a significant boost and support for the development of the Tibetan medicine industry. It also serves as an inspiring encouragement for us to carry forward, preserve, and advance Tibetan medical practices,” said Chen Weiwu, General Manager of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Research & Development Center.