TCM demand grows globally

Foreign drugmakers explore opportunities in traditional Chinese medicine as the remedies become popular in Western markets, report Liu Jie in Beijing and Wang Hongyi in Shanghai

Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, holds a unique place in Chinese healthcare, which is widely accepted by the 1.3 billion Chinese - old and young, urban and rural.

Nowadays, it's also growing in popularity in Western markets, where many want to pursue a more natural lifestyle.

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 Bruce Liu, partner and co-head of the Pharma & Healthcare practice at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

But that expansion effort faces challenges, he added.

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