Traditional Chinese Medicine Discussion

A number of traditional Chinese herbs may help control blood sugar levels in people at high risk of diabetes, a new research review suggests.

The review, which examined 16 clinical trials of 15 different herbal formulations, found that the herbs generally helped lower blood sugar levels in people with “pre-diabetes” — those with impaired blood-sugar control that can progress to full-blown type 2 diabetes.

When the researchers pooled data from eight of the studies, they found that adding an herbal remedy to lifestyle changes doubled the likelihood of participants’ blood sugar levels returning to normal.

What’s more, people using the remedies were two-thirds less likely to progress to diabetes during the studies, which ran for an average of nine months.

The findings appear in the Cochrane Library, which is published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

The results, say the researchers, are “quite promising.” However, they also stress that the studies had shortcomings in their methods that make it hard to draw firm conclusions.

There are a lot of herbal medicine products on the shelves, but few have been subjected to a rigorous trial,” lead researcher Suzanne J. Grant, of the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney, in Australia, told Reuters Health in an email.

Many of the trials her team examined, she explained, had a “high risk of bias” that can overestimate the effects of the treatments.

The gold standard for proving a treatment’s efficacy is a clinical trial where participants are randomly assigned to receive either the real treatment or a placebo, with both the researchers and participants unaware of who is taking the real drug.

Grant’s team found that those processes were often absent or not clearly detailed in the trials they reviewed.

EVERYONE’S grandma knows about the health benefits of vinegar and it’s also a time-honored agent in TCM for everything from sore throat to athlete’s foot. Zhang Qian puckers up.
Vinegar is essential in Chinese cuisine to make dishes sour and tasty. Its many varieties are widely used salad dressings, mostly in the West.
And for thousands of years, vinegar has held a place in folk medicine worldwide and in traditional Chinese medicine.
Vinegar (cu) promotes warm energy (yang) and is noted as a disinfectant (it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral), a detoxifier, digestive aid and treatment (internal and external) for inflammation.
It works especially well in autumn, according to TCM.
It promotes appetite, treats high blood pressure, improves the complexion, treats early stages of athlete’s foot (a fungal infection) and fights insomnia.
TCM classifies food into five tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. Vinegar is sour, and sometimes bitter.
The vinegars used in TCM are primarily grain vinegars, such as rice, gaoliang (sorghum), barley or millet - made from rice and other alcohols.
TCM does not use glacial acetic acid, and it says nothing about apple cider vinegar, which is used worldwide for its health benefits.
Vinegar has been a part of Chinese people’s live for more than 2,000 years; its use is recorded as early as 8 BC. There were famous vinegar workshops in the Spring and Autumn Period (AD 770-467) and the Warring States Period (722-221 BC), and the seasoning became common in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).
About 22 vinegar-making methods are collected in “Qi Min Yao Shu” (”Main Techniques for the Welfare of the People”), a book on agriculture by Jia Sixie in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534).
The top four vinegars in China are xiangcu (fragrant vinegar) in Zhenjiang City of Zhejiang Province, lao chencu (mature vinegar) in Shanxi Province, hongqu micu (red yeast vinegar) in Fujian Province and baoning cu (bran vinegar) in Sichuan Province.
Zhenjiang fragrant vinegar is probably the most popular and well-known because of its taste.
Chinese people traditionally make vinegar from grains. Sticky rice and rice are widely used in the south while sorghum and millet are more often used in the north.
Bai cu (white vinegar) made from barley is widely used for external application (as on a wound) and in household cleaning.
During hot weather, Chinese would add vinegar to food to improve the appetite and fumigate rooms with vinegar to prevent infectious diseases.
Its uses include relieving diarrhea and jaundice when taken internally, relieving inflammation and stopping bleeding when used in external application.
It is recommended in cases of indigestion from too much greasy food, in cases of internal bleeding and sore throat.
Its many uses were recorded in the “Ben Cao Gang Mu” (”Compendium of Materia Medica”) by famed pharmacist Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Modern research confirms the many benefits of vinegar, which is rich in amino acids, vitamins and acetic acid, especially rice vinegars.
It has been found to improve digestion and appetite, and to have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, especially rice and apple cider vinegars.
It is said to be helpful in protecting the liver, expanding blood vessels, working as a diuretic and promoting metabolism of proteins and sugar. Apple cider vinegar is part of many weight-loss programs.
Vinegar can also serve as solvent for certain herbs. By soaking in vinegar, the undesirable side-effect of some herbs like yuan hua (daphne genkwa) and gan sui (euphorbia kansui) can be reduced. Vinegar can also strengthen the effect of herbs like wu wei zi (shizandra berry).

Ironically, the Chinese have no historical experience with early-onset allergic asthma. Even in modern times, the incidence of atopic asthma in China is almost non-existent. The closest equivalent is “breathlessness” or “wheezing”. The causes of these diseases were either invasion of some external pathogen, diet, emotions, or some combination of strenuous or excessive lifestyle. None of these can really be attributed to young children and explain the high incidence of child-hood allergic asthma. This again suggests that some aspect of the Western lifestyle is a major factor in the cause.

Modern Chinese medical theory suggests that atopic asthma is originally caused by the deficiency in Kidney and Lung Qi as well as a . Specifically, it is in the deficiency of the defensive aspects of Kidney and Lung Qi. Along with the classic filtering functions, the Kidneys are responsible for growth and development, sexual function, and overall vitality and health of the body. Kidney Qi is also largely influenced by the overall health of the parents, which explains the possible familial connection of atopic asthma. The Lungs are important not only in air-exchange, but also play a large role in the body’s resistance to external disease. The strength of the immune system is largely determined by the health of the Lungs. In combination, both the Lungs and Kidneys are vitally important in both the cause and the eventual treatment of atopic asthma. When as asthma attack occurs, we see this as an attack of internal “Wind”. In TCM, the term “internal Wind” suggests some kind of spasm or contraction; in this case referring to the broncho-spasms common in asthma attacks.

In treating asthma with acupuncture, our goal is to both strengthen the defensive aspects of the Lungs and Kidneys as well as dispelling internal Wind. While this may seem like a monumental task, it is actually very simple using acupuncture. Acupuncture has a very powerful “regulatory” effect on the body and has been found to lower excessive levels of IgE and eosinophils that are responsible for the hyper-activity of the immune system during an asthma attack. Acupuncture is also very effective in controlling spasms (Wind) in the body whether they be in the form of tics, tremors, or even spasms. As a result, acupuncture can both address both the inflammatory as well as the broncho-spasm aspects of asthma.

Regardless of the type of asthma, acupuncture has proven incredibly effective in lowering the symptoms of even completely eliminating asthma in our patients. We get repeated updates from patients telling us they don’t have to use their medication anymore; how they can leave their inhaler at home during their morning run, or that their son or daughter can now play with other kids without fearing an asthma attack. Why is this asthma solution not more common? With its overwhelming evidence and virtually zero side-effects, it is a wonder why more asthma clinics and physicians do not offer this option to their patients. As the population of asthma suffers continues to rise, we will continue to be flooded with TV commercials for the latest asthma drugs. Instead of resigning yourself to a collection of medications, turn towards your local acupuncturist. Both your body and your pocketbook will be much healthier (and happier).

By Dr. Marina Ponton

Sixty years ago, when China faced a health-care crisis fueled by too many people to treat, too little money and too few doctors to provide care, the Eastern Asian country embraced its past, turning to acupuncture and Oriental medicine for answers.
Between 1949 and 1978, the average life expectancy in China increased from 35 to 68 years. Today, Traditional Chinese Medicine is a major component of China’s health-care delivery system where doctors are trained in the traditional methods of acupuncture and massage, as well as the diagnostic and surgical techniques of Western medicine. Treatments such as acupuncture, herb therapy and massage therapy account for around 40 percent of all health care delivered in China.

I’m aware that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doesn’t match the scientific model of the U.S. health-care system, and that many view TCM as alternative “folk healing” that often is considered only after conventional treatment options have been exhausted. But with health-care costs in the U.S. continuing to escalate, more and more Americans are looking for alternative answers to their health-care needs, realizing that one-size-fits-all medicine isn’t working.

For three weeks this past June, I worked alongside health-care professionals at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China’s Sichuan province. Founded in 1956, Chengdu University is among the oldest TCM universities in China, with a hospital that houses a 5,000-square-foot herbal pharmacy and seven floors of outpatient care. My time at Chengdu confirmed that a fully integrated health-care system that improves the quality of care while decreasing its cost is attainable and sustainable.

Traditional Chinese Medicine differs from Western medicine by emphasizing patient education and preventive care, and by teaching patients how to take personal responsibility for their own health and methods of treatment. Culturally, the Chinese are more aware of their health, with the average person in China entering a medical facility as a knowledgeable patient.

The basic premise of TCM is that a body in balance has a basic immunity to health issues. You truly are what you eat, think and breathe. You are the lifestyle you lead. That’s why overall, the Chinese are a healthier people. They are taught TCM techniques as children and practice them throughout their lives.

A great example is chronic childhood ear infections are non-existent in China. Children are given herbal formulas from day one, which prevent their development. Frankly, the idea of surgery to place tubes in a child’s ears or giving children antibiotics long term is considered primitive and uncivilized to Chinese doctors.

While there are people with difficult diseases in China, they tend to respond better to care. There are far fewer instances of death from cancer in China, and when a case is terminal, those patients tends to live longer and have a better quality of life in the final stages. While in China, I met several nine and 10-year survivors of pancreatic cancer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been providing an uninterrupted system of prevention and wellness worldwide for thousands of years. It makes primary health care more affordable because it provides effective treatments for chronic and acute conditions at a fraction of the cost of Western medicine. For example, Chinese women who are having surgeries and receiving chemo for breast cancer, at the same time, are getting IV drips of Chinese formulas to mitigate the side effects for nausea, dizziness and fatigue rather than taking another pharmaceutical drug.

The U.S. system of health care has handicapped doctors. It has created the current crisis of unmet needs, virtually no preventive care, and mounting costs that cannot be supported. Americans are forced to decide among the most expensive health-care services in the world, with most insurance plans offering no option to choose natural health modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, diet modifications, and breathing and movement therapies.

I have many patients whose insurance will not cover their natural health treatments. However these treatments often lessen the need for pharmaceutical drugs or costly surgeries, and in some cases, eliminates it. Costs are offsetting and often reduced.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would add acupuncture as a benefit covered under both Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act would be an excellent start to an integrated system of care that prevents and treats illness rather than symptoms and side effects.

The basic premise of TCM is that a body in balance has a basic immunity to health issues. You truly are what you eat, think and breathe. You are the lifestyle you lead. That’s why overall, the Chinese are a healthier people. They are taught TCM techniques as children and practice them throughout their lives.
A great example is chronic childhood ear infections are non-existent in China. Children are given herbal formulas from day one, which prevent their development. Frankly, the idea of surgery to place tubes in a child’s ears or giving children antibiotics long term is considered primitive and uncivilized to Chinese doctors.

While there are people with difficult diseases in China, they tend to respond better to care. There are far fewer instances of death from cancer in China, and when a case is terminal, those patients tends to live longer and have a better quality of life in the final stages. While in China, I met several nine and 10-year survivors of pancreatic cancer.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been providing an uninterrupted system of prevention and wellness worldwide for thousands of years. It makes primary health care more affordable because it provides effective treatments for chronic and acute conditions at a fraction of the cost of Western medicine. For example, Chinese women who are having surgeries and receiving chemo for breast cancer, at the same time, are getting IV drips of Chinese formulas to mitigate the side effects for nausea, dizziness and fatigue rather than taking another pharmaceutical drug.

The U.S. system of health care has handicapped doctors. It has created the current crisis of unmet needs, virtually no preventive care, and mounting costs that cannot be supported. Americans are forced to decide among the most expensive health-care services in the world, with most insurance plans offering no option to choose natural health modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, diet modifications, and breathing and movement therapies.

I have many patients whose insurance will not cover their natural health treatments. However these treatments often lessen the need for pharmaceutical drugs or costly surgeries, and in some cases, eliminates it. Costs are offsetting and often reduced.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would add acupuncture as a benefit covered under both Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act would be an excellent start to an integrated system of care that prevents and treats illness rather than symptoms and side effects.

Dr. Marina Ponton is an acupuncture physician who has been in private practice since 1999. She opened Greenville Natural Health Center in Greenville in 2007. She can be reached at info@greenvillenaturalhealth.com.

It may, according to a new review published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international nonprofit that analyzes health care information.

The review, which looked at results of two randomized studies of Chinese herbal medicine involving 158 women, suggested that Chinese herbs may provide better relief of pelvic pain and other symptoms than one of the prescription drugs normally used in the West, Danazol.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue from inside the uterus escapes to other parts of the body. Outside the uterus, this tissue is seen as “foreign’’ by the immune system, which means that the body mounts an inflammatory response that can cause pain and scarring.

In the review, researchers at the University of Southampton in England found that Chinese herbs - which were not specified and which typically vary from patient to patient in Chinese medicine - were better at relieving menstrual pain than Danazol, a testosterone-derived drug, and were also better at shrinking endometrial masses. They did not prove better for other types of endometrial discomfort, such as rectal pain.

Dr. Aaron Styer, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, noted that in the West, the first line of treatment for endometriosis is birth control and other hormonal drugs, which suppress secretion of estrogen by the ovaries. Although the Chinese herbal study is not conclusive, he said, “if a patient has not done well with traditional therapy or doesn’t want to proceed with it, she should investigate these approaches more completely, as long as there’s no potential health risk of taking these herbs.’’

Dr. Hope Riccotti, clinical director of obstetrics and gynecology at the Dimock Community Health Center, cautioned that “herbs are drugs and drug interactions can be dangerous,’’ which makes it important for women to tell their health care providers if they are taking these herbs.

A toad’s venom could become a new weapon in the battle against cancer.

The toxin - found on the amphibian’s skin - has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine.

But now US researchers have tested the venom extract on patients with liver, lung, and pancreatic cancer.

A study published in the journal Cancer suggested the toxin can stop the growth of tumours and improve immune system function.

Scientists gave 15 patients with late-stage cancer daily doses for more than a year.

The disease remained stable in six patients for an average of six months and one patient had a 20% reduction in tumour.

Researchers are now carrying out further trials.

Chinese herbal medicine may have the same benefits as conventional medicines for women with endometriosis, but with fewer side effects, according to a large review of the research. But better quality studies are needed to be sure.

What do we know already?
Endometriosis is a painful condition affecting some women. Cells from the womb lining (the endometrium) travel to other parts of the body, such as the bowel and the ovaries, and grow into patches of tissue. Every month they grow, then break down, in the same way that the cells lining the womb grow and break down, during a woman’s menstrual cycle. This can be painful and may make it hard for a woman to get pregnant.

Treatments include surgery to remove these patches of endometriosis cells, and hormonal treatments to reduce the growth of the patches, or to stop them coming back after surgery. But endometriosis often comes back after surgery, or after hormone treatment is stopped. Also, some hormone treatments can have unpleasant side effects, including acne and symptoms of the menopause.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have treated endometriosis using a combination of herbs for many years. But there has been little good-quality research to assess how well these herbal treatments work. A new study by an international team of researchers looked at all the studies that have been published about endometriosis and Chinese herbal medicine, to see what conclusions they could draw.

What does the new study say?
The researchers found more than 100 studies, but say only 2 of them were suitable to assess in their review. The others weren’t reliable.

The two studies had promising results, although they don’t give us enough information. In one study, women who’d had an operation to remove endometriosis patches were given either a hormonal treatment (gestrinone) for 3 months, or Chinese herbal medicine for 3 months, after surgery. Afterwards, more than 9 in 10 women in both groups said they no longer had symptoms of endometriosis, such as pain and tiredness.

In the second study, researchers compared Chinese herbal medicine with another hormonal treatment (danazol). Again, both groups took the treatment for 3 months, but neither group had surgery to remove endometriosis patches first. More than half of the women who took Chinese herbal medicine said they no longer had symptoms of endometriosis after treatment, compared with about 1 in 10 women who took danazol.

Tell me more about the study’s findings
The women in the first study took the herbal medicine both by mouth and in the form of a daily enema (when the rectum (back passage) is washed out). In the second study, half the women taking Chinese herbs took them just by mouth, while the other half took daily enemas as well. The ones having daily enemas as well were more likely to report being free of symptoms.

In the second study, although more women said that overall, their symptoms had gone completely if they’d taken Chinese herbs, other measures didn’t show a clear difference. For example, if you just look at how bad women’s pain was during their periods, on average, there was no difference between the group taking Chinese herbs and the group taking hormone treatments (danazol).

The women taking hormonal treatments said they had more side effects than the women taking Chinese herbs. Acne, weight gain, and irregular periods were the most common side effects.

In both studies, the women’s symptoms were assessed after the 3 month treatment period, so we don’t know whether the improvements would last after the women stopped taking the treatments.

How reliable are the findings?
The review found only 2 studies suitable to be assessed in a scientific way, and they had questions about how reliable these two studies were. So we can’t rely on the findings.

Where does the study come from?
The review of the studies was done by a group of researchers from Southampton University in the UK and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in China. The original studies were all carried out in China.

What does this mean for me?
It’s always difficult to say how relevant studies are for people in the UK, when they’ve been done in very different countries, with different medical systems. In this case, the original studies were all done in the Chinese healthcare system, with doctors who are used to working in the Chinese medical tradition. Also, the women taking part were all used to being treated with herbal medicine, so perhaps might be more willing to consider treatments like daily herbal enemas, than women used to the Western medical tradition. Even the way that the researchers recorded the results of the treatment differ from the methods that Western doctors use.

Because of this, we can’t really say whether women in the UK are likely to get the same benefits from treatment with Chinese herbs.

What should I do now?
It’s important to bear in mind that herbal medicines can have side effects or can react with other medicines you are taking. Herbal medicines are not regulated in the same way as conventional medicines, and their quality can vary. If you’re considering herbal medicine for endometriosis, talk to your doctor.

From:
Flower A, Liu JP, Chen S, et al. Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009; Issue 3.

After more than 21 years of exploration in the sector of treatment of HIV/AIDS patients with traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese doctors has gained more experience both for the disease and other chronic diseases.

“Traditional Chinese Medicine project started at the then Muhimbili Medical Center in 1987. At that time, there was no other treatment for the HIV/AIDS patients. ” Rosina Lipyoga, assistant director of Clinical Services at the current Muhimbili National Hospital in charge of the project, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

When anti-retroviral (ARV) AIDS drugs became available in 2004,some patients who met the standard chose the medicine for treatment while some others still used the traditional Chinese medicine, with some progress and efficacy having been achieved, she added.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries in 2006, traditional Chinese Medicine is also allowed to treat patients with chronic diseases, such as asthmatic children and adults, arthritis and gout among others, Lipyoga said.

At the Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic, some patients are glad to see the Chinese doctors to receive some treatment for common diseases, which they alleged have good effects.

After receiving the treatment for a cold, a seven-year-old Tanzanian boy came across his friend, a little girl who came to see the Chinese doctors with her young and elegant mother who worked as a civil servant.

The mother who gave her name as Rose told Xinhua that she trusted the Chinese doctors, received the treatment even for herself, and introduced friends to come to the clinic. It was her who introduced the boy and his mother to come to see the Chinese doctors. She said the Chinese medicine was easier to use. The price of the medicine was also termed as “reasonable”.

In Lipyoga’s opinion, traditional Chinese Medicine needs to make more advertisement and promotion to let doctors and patients acknowledge the existence of the project to attract more patients.

Lipyoga, who respectively visited China in 2006 and 2008, commended the progress of China’s medical sectors as “advanced” as China practices its medicine without interruption from outside world.

Calling for more investment in the project, She also expected the cooperation between local doctors and the Chinese doctors could be strengthened to develop the Tanzanian traditional herbs.

For his part, Bai Wenshan, head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine team, expressed his hope that the project will be expanded to do much more medical research work.

So far, a total of 54 Chinese medical experts have worked at the hospital and 1,054 HIV/ AIDS patients had been treated. Although none was cured, 75 percent have had their health status improved.

When Dr. Francis Yu started his acupuncture clinic in California in 1970s, most of his patients were Chinese. But now, half of his patients are non-Chinese.

“More non-Chinese Americans begin to accept the Chinese way of treatment, such as acupuncture, cupping and herbal medicine. Another truth is, at least in California, nearly half of those who have acupuncture licenses and operate acupuncture clinics are not Chinese but Americans who do not know Chinese,” said Yu who owns his two-storied TCM Healing Institute in Arcadia in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Dr. Yu’s remarks echoed the recent press reports that alternative medicine is finding wider acceptance by doctors, insurers and hospitals in the US.

People turn to unconventional therapies and herbal remedies for everything from hot flashes and trouble sleeping to cancer and heart disease. They crave more “care” in their health care as more people distrust drug companies and the government.

California became the first US state to license qualified acupuncture practitioners as primary care providers in 1978. As of2004, California has licensed more than 9,000 acupuncturists. Now the figure is estimated to exceed 15,000. California constitutes nearly half of the licensed acupuncturists in the US.

Dr. Yu told Xinhua that in the early days, acupuncture was not accepted and respected by the mainstream. Most Americans did not regard acupuncture as alternative treatment. But as time goes by and when more US hospitals and research institutions set up acupuncture treatment centers, more Americans turned to the Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine to cure diseases conventional American doctors could not treat.

He said recently one American lady on her 40s came from Florida to treat her pain on the neck. But Dr. Yu told her she needed to remove her plaque in her artery. She received cupping treatment for several times and when she went back to Florida, her doctor told her the plaque was gone and she felt much better.

She then recommended her friend, a 47-year-woman, to see Dr. Yuin the hope she can get pregnant. Dr. Yu said the treatment was going on, and he was not sure whether the lady could get pregnant at her age. But those cases show that more Americans are willing to try the Chinese way in medical treatment.

In California and other states, when a doctor has an acupuncture license, the doctor can give herbal treatment to the patients. Although traditional Chinese medicine is not legal in California, doctors with acupuncture licenses can treat patients with cupping and herbal medicine.

The legal use of herbal medicine was made possible 15 years ago when the US Congress decided to allow dietary and herbal supplements to be sold without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Since then the number of products soared, from about 4,000 then to well over 40,000 categories now.

The increasing acceptance of alternative treatment such as acupuncture and herbal medicine was also made possible by big healthcare insurances that cover expenses of patients who accept treatment of acupuncture, cupping and herbal medicine, Dr. Yu said.

Although Dr. Yu said the government regulation seemed ridiculous for doctors to have an acupuncture license first before they can practice other Chinese medicine such as cupping and herbal treatment, it legalizes the practice of acupuncture and other ways to treat patients in the Chinese way in the US.

Increasing numbers of big hospitals and institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center, have established integrative medicine units that bring together conventional and alternative approaches to care.

The alternative treatment includes stress reducers like meditation, yoga and massage besides acupuncture and cupping.

Studies show that the number of Americans willing to try alternative treatments continues to increase. A 2007 survey by the federal government found that more than one-third of adults and nearly 12 percent of children in the US used alternative therapies, including acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy and herbal supplements.

But many mainstream physicians continue to be skeptical of alternative therapies, alleging their efficacy has not been proven and their successes may be nothing more than variations of the placebo effect.

Concerns over the effectiveness and safety of herbal supplement have prompted the US FDA to issue its first guidelines for good manufacturing practices to improve supplement safety.

The US Federal Trade Commission is also filing more complaints about deceptive marketing in herbal supplements.

source: Xinhuanet

Five Chinese drug firms have so far received seed viruses of A/H1N1 influenza from the World Health Organization. These companies are striving to have the first batch of the vaccine ready to go by August.

Researchers at this biotechnology company in Beijing are busy duplicating the seed viruses of the A/H1N1 flu.

It’s a critical step before the vaccine can go into production.

Zou Yong, manager of Quality Supervision Department of Sinovac Bitotec, said, “In order to meet the demand of large-scale vaccine production, we need to duplicate the seed one thousand times. The production period is expected to last 40 to 50 days. So we estimate the first batch of vaccines will be produced as early as the end of July.”

According to the State Food and Drug Administration, or SFDA, there are a total of 11 flu vaccine manufacturers in China.

Between them, they can produce 360 million doses a year. And of those 11, five have already received seed viruses from the WHO. The rest are scheduled to receive them by Saturday.

Meanwhile, China is waiting for the WHO to decide on whether the A/H1N1 flu should be categorized as seasonal or pandemic.

The SFDA says the scale and pace of the production will be decided by the spread and development of the virus.

Source: CCTV