Targets at traditional Chinese medicine market
China Scope Financial, 4 February 2013

Experts said that the new medical reform helps boost the development of TCM products. Given that TCM is well-received among the public, the market prospect is cheerful and thus attracts an increasing number of multinational pharmaceutical giants to step in the field of TCM product development. As early as in 2011, Novartis began to cooperate with the Academy of Military Medical Sciences Institute of Biology on the development of a proprietary herbal medical compound, which later set it the second place on the world anti-malarial drug market. Data shows that annual sales of herbal medicines exceeded USD 16 billion globally. In sharp contrast, China's annual TCM exports were only about USD 100 million.

ACTCM will be celebrating Chinese New Year with a day of fun and complimentary events
PRWEB, 4 February 2013

The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) has organized a fun-filled day of events to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Activities include learning about acupuncture, herbs and oriental medicine, along with free acupuncture and massages. Participants will also be able to enjoy activities such as cooking with herbs, drawing calligraphy, and learning tai qi and qi gong, traditional Chinese exercises that promote health and balance. Children will also be able to take part in fun activities such as Chinese lantern-making, coloring, and a bounce house.

TCM maker urged to boost drug awareness
Xinhua, 6 February 2013

China's drug safety watchdog has ordered traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) maker Yunnan Baiyao to boost awareness of one of its drug's side effects and remind patients to use it properly. The drug is used to treat open wounds and muscle pain. The Department of Health of Hong Kong recalled the drug after finding that it contained an undeclared amount of aconitum alkaloids, which can be toxic. Yunnan Baiyao responded in a statement, that through special production processes and techniques, the toxicity of the aconitum alkaloids contained in the drug can be removed or alleviated.

ShenProfessional releases new version of software
PR.com, 8 February 2013

ShenProfessional has released a brand new version of software created for Acupuncturists, TCM & Practice Management. It is a comprehensive software offer the total package for operating any healthcare practice, which comes with 5 workspaces: A Calendar, Patients Area, Billing Module, TCM Theory and a TCM Tutorial. It contains over 500 pages of TCM Theory along with numerous illustrations, a knowledge base in study of Chinese Medicine.

Burnaby school applies to become first in Canada to offer traditional Chinese medicine degree
Vancouver Sun, 13 February 2013

The PCU College of Holistic Medicine has applied to the province to become the first school in Canada to grant a university degree in traditional Chinese medicine. The proposal to the degree quality assessment board has been in the works since 2006, said dean John Yang. The education ministry said no decisions have been made what institution would house the new school. Kwantlen University has also started to incorporate alternative health practices such as acupuncture in its pending bachelor of science in health science program, but has no plans to start granting degrees.

TCM is slowly gaining popularity in North Africa and the Middle East
Channel News Asia, 15 February 2013

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is slowly gaining popularity in North Africa and the Middle East. But advocates still face an uphill task of convincing governments to accept it as an alternative form of medical treatment. In Israel, it was only formally recognized in the early 1990s, while in places like Tunisia in North Africa, there is even less awareness. Elsewhere in the world, TCM has been more readily accepted. There are laws in countries such as Australia and South Africa that regulate and protect it. This is an encouraging sign for its advocates in the Middle East.

What is TCM?
China Daily, 20 February 2013

The origins of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can be traced about 5,000 years ago. TCM uses raw materials mostly herbs to treat disease. Historically, they incorporated as many as 10,000 ingredients, 90% extracted from herbs and 10% from animal byproducts and minerals. Today, TCM practitioners regularly use around 300 ingredients in their prescriptions. Any given prescription requires 4 to 8 ingredients on average. Although only 10% of China's 2 million physicians are trained exclusively in TCM, most medical school students receive some training in the discipline.

TCM demand grows globally
China Daily, 20 February 2013

Foreign drugmakers explore opportunities in traditional Chinese medicine as the remedies become popular in Western markets. International drugmakers are exploring ways, including joint ventures and co-development partnerships, to combine Western approaches to drug discovery with the material repertoire of TCM. "No matter the model, we believe this bodes well for the industry in general, as it may help accelerate TCM standardization and modernization, as well as TCM acceptance in overseas markets," said an insider.

British Reckitt Benckiser buying into Chinese medicine firm
Morning Whistle, 21 February 2013

Reckitt Benckiser, the British FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) giant is reportedly acquiring Anhui-based Golong Medicine, a traditional Chinese medicine manufacturer known for sore-throat remedies. The detailed costs of the acquisition haven't been disclosed yet. As for the future development of sore-throat remedy "man yan shu ning", which is only sold in China at present, it was reported that the company would probably continue to market the product, but "it's too early to sell traditional Chinese medicine outside of China," said Rakesh Kapoor, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser

TCM grower takes a greener approach
China Daily, 23 February 2013

A plant known as Dendrobium officinale is popular in China, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. Commonly grown in greenhouses, the plant is also a daily ingredient in Guangdong province. One businessman hasfound a successful way in producing the plant by eschewing commonly used methods. Rather than using greenhouses, Yang Shaowen grows the precious plant in the natural habitat of longan forests near Zhangzhou, Fujian province. Under these conditions, a tree can generate an annual output of 30,000 yuan and every hectare of longan forest can yield plants with a total value of 4.5 million yuan.

Shanghai to boost TCM services
China Daily, 25 February 2013

Shanghai has vowed to improve traditional Chinese medicine services at the grassroots level. The work is listed as one of the most important projects to develop TCM in 2013, Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau said. District and county hospitals will be equipped with TCM facilities, with training offered to doctors. Some TCM treatments are also expected to be included on the health insurance list. Authorities said supervision will be strengthened and there will be a crackdown on illegal activities in the name of TCM, including the use of substandard or fake materials during production.

A shot in the arm for TCM
China Daily, 28 February 2013

During the SARS outbreak, traditional Chinese medicine made a great contribution. As a result, TCM won the recognition of the World Health Organization and improved its status on the mainland. According to a statistical analysis report, a combination of TCM and Western medicine resulted in a fall in the required steroid dose. After SARS, TCM was used in major public health emergencies. During outbreaks of infectious diseases, the government asked for a TCM treatment option in addition to Western therapy and allowed TCM hospitals to treat contagious patients.

Compiled By:
Rose Tse, Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.