On the morning of October 30, 2020, at the invitation of the Cross Straits-Hong Kong-Macau Collaboration Center of Science and Technology in Chinese Medicine, Academician Yao Xinsheng visited Macau University of Science and Technology. He gave an academic lecture report namely "Thinking about the strategies for the development of new Chinese Medicines" to share scientific research experience and prospects with the participants. Professor Zhou Hua, the director of the central office, hosted the lecture.
Academician Yao said that Chinese Medicines belongs to traditional medicine of China, it is a treasure of Chinese traditional culture and has made great contributions to the ancient medical and health undertakings in our country. Traditional Chinese Medicine has encountered many challenges in the process of internationalization. Academician Yao believes that it is necessary to refer to international experience, strengthen scientific research, reveal scientific connotation, and strive to go out of our country into the world, and make greater contributions to all mankind. Academician Yao also introduced that Japanese Kampo medicines are based on traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions, which are in the same line with traditional Chinese Medicine theories. After Japan's Kampo medicine restored its legal status in 1975, under the coordination and promotion of government policies, modern science and technology have been used to strengthen the research on Kampo medicines via the cooperation of scientific research institutions and enterprises, and the quality, safety and effectiveness have been improved. As a result, the Kampo medicine industry developed rapidly. Therefore, the process of Japan's development of Kampo medicine is worthy of our reference.
Academician Yao pointed out that traditional Chinese Medicine is the main body of natural medicine in China. Practice of traditional Chinese Medicine has proved that the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine products are mainly reflected in the integrated Chinese medicine prescriptions. Traditional medicine is characterized by empirical medicine. However, empirical medicine has inherent defects and deficiencies: (1) The lack of modern clinical trial data and results provided by the principles of modern evidence-based medicine; (2) The material basis and mechanism of action are not clear enough; (3) Traditional quality control standards and control methods are difficult to ensure "safe, effective, stable, and controllable." Therefore, Academician Yao proposed five key factors as below:
- Ensure the quality requirement of the drug: "be safe, be effective, be stable, and be controllable".
- Improve the understanding of the cultural carrier of traditional Chinese Medicine, improve the top-level design, strengthen policy and financial support.
- In strict accordance with the principles of modern evidence-based medicine, evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese Medicine preparations, and provide modern clinical trial data and results.
- Strive to clarify the interaction between the components and the target as much as possible.
- Actively carry out multi-regional cooperation.
The whole lecture was packed and the atmosphere was lively. At the end of the lecture, Professor Zhou Hua presented a souvenir to Academician Yao on behalf of the center.
Other attendees include: Associate Professor Leung Lai Han (Assistant Director of the State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Quality Research (Macau University of Science and Technology)), Associate Professor Xie Ying (Program Coordinator of the School of Pharmacy of Macau University of Science and Technology), Associate Professor Yu Yang (Jinan University), and over eighty audiences from Faculty of Chinese Medicine, and more people participates in the lecture through the internet.
This event is one of the "Lecture Reports by Distinguished Scholars of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in 2020". It is sponsored by the Cross Straits-Hong Kong-Macau Collaboration Center of Science and Technology in Chinese Medicine, and undertaken by Faculty of Chinese Medicine at Macau University of Science and Technology and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine. This lecture is supported from the Macau Foundation.
Academician Yao Xinsheng gave a speech
Professor Zhou Hua presents a souvenir to Academician Yao Xinsheng
Group photo of on-site participants