Sino-US Collaboration on Antiviral Research of Banlangen Granules
In March 2009, prominent influenza virologists attended “The Global Anti-viral Influenza Summit” organized by National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, U.S. In the meeting, Professor Zhong Nanshan, President of China Medical Association, reported the antiviral research on a Chinese Medicine (CM) product Banlangen. Prof Zhong and his research team, experts in elucidating antiviral mechanism of Banlangen, were the only group of Chinese delegates invited to this international medical event.
NIH, being the largest agency for conducting and supporting medical research worldwide, is composed of 27 institutes and centers. The total budget for medical research is over US$29 billion in 2009. More than 80% of the NIH’s funding will be used to support various medical research institutions within U.S. and throughout the world. Many scientists who had worked in or been sponsored by NIH are world-famous scientists and doctors, some of them are Nobel Prize laureate. In the past, NIH’s funding to Chinese R&D projects was mainly on acupuncture. For new drug development, NIH acts as an incubator by conducting or sponsoring basic research in bio-medicine.
As early as 2007, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, jointly established by Prof Zhong Nanshan and Hutchison Whampoa Guangzhou Baiyunshan Chinese Medicine Company Limited (HGB), has been leading the global research teams including The University of Edinburgh (UK), Macau University of Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology affiliated Tongji Hospital. Preliminary promising results have been attained on antiviral mechanism of Banlangen. In January 2008, a breakthrough was achieved by Prof Fang Jianguo of Tongji Hospital in the R&D of Banlangen. The study proved that Banlangen cultivated in accordance with National Standards for Good Agricultural Practice have demonstrated better anti-endotoxic and antipyretic effects than those grown otherwise. This finding has aroused intense interests from NIH and led to a site-visit to HGB to gather first hand information on research progress. NIH then expressed their interests in funding the antiviral research on Banlangen granules in January 2008.
It is reported that HGB has provided the first batch of 50 Banlangen samples to NIH. As agreed, NIH will provide 20+ highly pathogenic in-vitro virus models including influenza virus, avian flu virus, SARs virus, hepatitis B virus, HIV and varicella zoster virus for extensive initial screening during the one-year collaborative study. Further in-depth in vivo studies will be conducted for samples with significant effects. With its anti-viral potential, the Baiyunshan Banlangen Granules project has become a NIH funded CM project.
In June 2008, China and US agreed to include Chinese medicine collaboration into the fourth round of Sino-US Strategic Economic Dialogue, further strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the field of Chinese medicine. The anti-viral Baiyunshan Banlangen granules research project has pushed the Sino-US collaboration in TCM research into the implementation stage. Through research and multi-centre collaboration by Chinese and US scientists, the credibility of the Banlangen research will be further enhanced. According to the terms of the collaboration, NIH, the new member of Prof Zhong Nanshan’s international research alliance in Chinese medicine, will be responsible for providing test information and experimental results while HGB will file patent application for intellectual property rights protection.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health www.nih.gov
Medicine Economic News www.yyjjb.com.cn
Xinhua news www.xinhuanet.com
Nanfang Daily www.nanfangdaily.com.cn |
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