Evidence & Science
How does traditional wisdom meet the standards of modern science? These are the milestones of Chinese medicine's journey toward evidence and global recognition.
Artemisinin · Nobel Prize
Inspired by Ge Hong's low-temperature extraction note, Tu Youyou's team isolated artemisinin in 1972. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization as the standard treatment for malaria. Tu received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Acupuncture · World Heritage
In 2010, acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2019, the World Health Assembly adopted ICD-11, which for the first time includes a chapter on traditional medicine.
ISO Standards
ISO/TC 249, the technical committee for traditional Chinese medicine, was founded in 2009 with its secretariat in Shanghai. It has published more than one hundred international standards covering herbs, acupuncture needles, devices and terminology.
'Three Medicines, Three Formulas'
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jinhua Qinggan Granules, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules and Xuebijing Injection, together with Qingfei Paidu Decoction, Huashi Baidu Formula and Xuanfei Baidu Formula, were included in China's national treatment protocols.
Into the European Market
In 2012, Diaoxinxuekang Capsules were approved as a medicine in the Netherlands — reported as the first Chinese patent medicine to enter the EU market as a drug.
The Evidence Road
Randomised trials, systematic reviews and mechanistic studies are accumulating: from the synergy of multi-herb combinations to the modern dissection of chemical constituents, the question 'why does it work?' is gaining testable answers.