WCC 2020 Res 092 - Progress Report

On November 9, 2024, the establishment conference of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Fund by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (referred to as "CBCGDF") was successfully held in Chengdu. The establishment of this fund signifies a further deepening of CBCGDF's work in the field of TCM, aiming to promote the dissemination and exchange of TCM culture, showcase the development achievements and advantages of TCM, and build a platform for cooperation and exchange. Through the implementation of biodiversity conservation projects, forest economy projects, and rural poverty alleviation projects, CBCGDF has rescued a large number of endangered medicinal species and actively promoted the cultivation of medicinal materials under the forest, making significant contributions to the inheritance and innovative development of TCM. In line with the new situation of health changes, CBCGDF deepens and expands the "TCM + biodiversity conservation" and "TCM + green development" models, actively exploring industrial innovation and cross-boundary integration development. The TCM Development Fund, adhering to the principle of "public welfare positioning, assisting the government, supporting the grassroots, and benefiting the people," injects fresh strength into the development of TCM.

On October 17, 2024, the National Medical Products Administration and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued a notice on supporting the research and development of substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials. The notice clearly proposed that in order to strengthen the protection of rare and endangered wild medicinal animal and plant resources, support the domestication, artificial breeding, and research and development of substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials, and currently focus on the research and development of substitutes for medicinal materials used in TCM production such as the pangolin, antelope horn, bezoar, bear bile powder, and cordyceps. The notice also supports the inclusion of the research on substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials urgently needed in clinical practice into relevant scientific research projects, and proposes to deepen the collaborative innovation of industry, academia, research, and medical practice, promoting joint develop of key technologies in the research and development of substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials, and accelerating the transformation and promotion of scientific research results. In addition, the notice also emphasizes the registration services for the research and development of substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials, and implements priority review and approval for the registration application of substitutes for rare and endangered medicinal materials with clear clinical positioning and obvious clinical value, according to the principle of "early intervention, one enterprise one policy, full process guidance, and research and review linkage."

In 2024, the 15th annual meeting of the WHO International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (WHO-IRCH) was held from April 16 to 20 in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting discussed the regulatory status of herbal medicines, with member countries showing enthusiasm for regulating traditional and complementary medicines (T&CM) to improve the quality and safety of these interventions.

The United Republic of Tanzania continued to use WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants and required herbal medicine manufacturers to submit drug samples to the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) in 2024 to ensure compliance with manufacturing requirements.