From Tradition to Modernization
- the Rejuvenation of a Century-Old Enterprise -

Hong Kong Product, International Acceptance

Eu Yan Sang (EYS) had no plan to relocate to the Mainland in the near future, as Alice Wong, Managing Director of Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong) Limited, said. “‘Made in Hong Kong’ is always a label of confidence. We have diligent and disciplined people in Hong Kong who are readily manageable, and thanks to CEPA in recent years, exports of Hong Kong products to the Mainland can enjoy zero tariffs. Hence, in a time when many enterprises decide to move north, we nevertheless take the view that Hong Kong still possesses vast room for development. Besides CEPA, the government encourages local businesses to stay in Hong Kong by providing low-cost land for plant-building, so we set up our plant in the Yuen Long Industrial Park and increase in both manpower and facilities.”

According to Alice Wong, when CEPA was implemented in 2004, import tariffs for Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM) lowered from the previous 3% to zero, bringing selling price down and sales volume up in the Mainland. Though it currently only wholesales Bak Foong Pills (BFP) and Bo Ying Compound in the Mainland, EYS intends to enter the Mainland retail market through setting up branch stores. She said, “A made-in-Hong Kong brand serves as the best marketing tool. Customers trust us as we procure quality herbs from the Mainland but retain the entire processing in Hong Kong. Mainland tourists seeking quality products undoubtedly will come to Hong Kong.”

Natural Essence, Scientific Validation
Alice Wong said, as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) store, EYS integrates western medicinal technologies into the CPM manufacturing process with a philosophy of ‘caring for mankind’ and the corporate mission centering on ‘Natural Essence and Technological Validation’. The entire Manufacturing Center consists of a herb processing zone, a 10-6 grade dust-free manufacturing zone and the packaging zone. To safeguard product stability, safety and efficacy, from raw materials to finished product, every product is subject to stringent quality control throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Alice Wong said that BFP is a well-known healthcare product made by EYS based on a century-old traditional formula. In order to prove the product quality, EYS investigated the efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of this flagship product. The research project employed HK$ 9.28 million funds which were cosponsored by EYS and the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) under the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC). The three-year project, commenced in June 2000, was undertaken by the Epithelial Cell Biology Research Center of Chinese University of Hong Kong.

As Alice Wong said, with a better understanding of the pharmacological actions of Bak Foong Pills (BFP) through extensive research and laboratory testing, a new formula for treating postmenopausal syndromes was proposed and its toxicity and efficacy studied. Experiments indicated that the modified formula of BFP has effects on estrogenic activity and hormonal profile, anti-hypertension, and restoration of immune imbalance in aging animals. She noted that the research has not only provided scientific evidence confirming the beneficial effects of BFP, but also led to the discovery of a new formula with specific effects on menopausal syndromes. It demonstrated that the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine can be explained in scientific terms and international language.

Fingerprints Upgrade Level of Pharmacy
In order to upgrade product safety, quality and stability of curative efficacy, the century-old EYS persists in developing Chinese medicine with modern scientific methods. EYS also upgrades its pharmacy standards by extensively applying chromatographic fingerprints, a critical technology in recent years. Like human fingerprints, every medical herb has differing features and curative elements, which may be drawn out in standard patterns with the use of computers and modern analytical technologies. Thus, each Chinese medicine (CM) owns its fingerprint-like standard patterns, namely the CM chromatographic fingerprints. Alice Wong said, “The research we use also substantially improved our level of pharmacy, opening the door of Chinese medicine to the world.”

Alice Wong expressed, pursuant to the exclusive worldwide distributorship, all Wisconsin American Ginseng products contracted under GHC will be shipped to EYS's GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) plant in Yuen Long Industrial Park in Hong Kong, where fingerprinting tests and processing are performed. The processed and certified Wisconsin American Ginseng will then be exported from the Hong Kong GMP centre to markets worldwide. Through this collaboration, EYS further adds value to the world’s purest and finest quality ginseng by quality and scientific validation for the benefits of consumers worldwide.

About Eu Yan Sang Group
Eu Yan Sang International Limited, an eminent brand in Asia with over 128 years of history, is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. It currently offers more than 250 products under the Eu Yan Sang brand name and over 1,000 different types of Chinese medicines and other medicinal products. Its products are primarily made in two of its GMP-certified factories respectively located in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Hong Kong plant is also accredited under GMP by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia, the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong and ISO9001:2000 by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency. It produces a wide range of products, pill and capsule medicinal products, including its flagship products BFP and Bo Ying Compound. EYS’s distribution network comprises 109 specialty retail outlets in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore as well as over 5,000 dispensaries, super markets, clinic centers and grocery stores worldwide. The Group also operates a chain of 12 TCM clinics in Singapore and Malaysia; 2 specialist TCM clinics in Singapore. In Australia, the Group operates 4 “YourHealth” integrative medicine centers. (Interviewed by Belinda Hui)