Chinese medicine missed the mainstream market of EU

â–¡ Our reporter, Long Jiuzun and Li Huiyi, have gone through the past seven years, and they still miss the opportunity to enter the mainstream market of the EU.

“We did not seize the opportunity to go in.” Tu Pengfei, a professor at the School of Pharmacy of Peking University, said in an interview with the “Scientific Times”, “But this does not affect the sales channel of Chinese medicine in the EU.”

Unrelated to cultural identity The European Union's "Regulations on Traditional Plant Drugs Registration Procedures" (hereinafter referred to as "the Directive") issued in 2004 stipulates that all botanical drug manufacturers must complete registration before April 30th, 2011, otherwise they will not be allowed to sell in the EU and use.

Right now, only less than half a month is left.

When the European Union just issued the "Directive," the media used "wind noise" to describe domestic Chinese medicine companies at that time, but for the next seven years, there was no domestic Chinese medicine company registered.

“It requires that traditional medicine must have a 30-year history of use and must have a 15-year history of use in the EU. However, no Chinese medicine can provide evidence that it has been in use in the European Union for 15 years.” Tu Pengfei said that the lack of objective impediment Domestic pharmaceutical companies registered in the European Union.

Some analysts believe that although the "Directive" gives a transition period of 7 years, it is obviously not enough time compared to the rigid requirements of 15 years because domestic Chinese medicine companies have not thought of storing proof of use before. If proof of use is kept from 2004, it will take 20 years for the certificate to be used for 15 years.

However, many European traditional medicines have complete evidence of use, and some Chinese medicines have no evidence of customs entry. Tu Pengfei explained that in EU countries, Chinese medicine is mostly used in Chinese circles and has not entered the mainstream market of the EU.

Liu Li, who has been in the Chinese medicine clinic for five years in London, England, confirmed this statement.

"Rich people in the upper class will not come to Chinese medicine clinics because they have their own medical plans and do not accept Chinese medicine." Liu Li said that some of the patients coming to the clinic are Chinese, most of them are local residents, but Local residents “only come to Chinese medicine clinics when Western medicine cannot solve their illnesses.”

In addition, registration fees also affect the registration of companies. The "Directive" shows that the single registration cost of proprietary Chinese medicines is about 1 million yuan, and a traditional Chinese medicine company generally has many varieties, and the application fee is relatively high.

Earlier media reports suggested that the EU's introduction of the "Directive" was discriminatory. The underlying reason is that the EU lacks recognition of the Chinese medicine culture. Tu Pengfei does not agree with this view.

"This has nothing to do with culture. The European Union's "Directive" targets traditional medicines around the world and does not specifically target our Chinese medicine." Tu Pengfei said that the EU's "Directive" is intended to regulate the traditional drugs that have entered the European Union and it is also The world’s traditional medicine “opens a mouth”. If Chinese medicine is to enter the European Union, it must be done according to EU requirements.

Tu Pengfei said that this is the same as ours. No matter which country's things are to enter China, it must be done in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.

"The inability of Chinese medicines is not an endorsement of our Chinese medicine culture. It is only now that we have not seized the opportunity to go in." Tu Pengfei said.

Will not affect the sales channels Liu Li has already felt the arrival of the "Directive." He said: "Recently, the European Union has introduced a series of standards to limit various aspects of Chinese medicine. Chinese patent medicines are not allowed to be imported."

Liu Zhanglin, deputy director of the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, believes that missed this opportunity is a blow to the Chinese medicine companies in China. If a Chinese medicine company wants to apply for a legal identity for its drugs, it will face the dilemma of skyrocketing costs. If Chinese medicine turns into a "black household" in the EU, it will be a major step backward in the export of Chinese medicine.

Second, this has a great influence on the development of the Chinese medicine industry in the EU. At present, there are more than 50,000 people engaged in the Chinese medicine business in Europe. If Chinese medicines are prohibited from entering the EU market, it will certainly affect the normal operations of related medical personnel and medical institutions.

However, many Chinese companies have stated that the expiration of the "Directive" will not cause much impact. Due to the EU's various regulatory regimes, they are not very enthusiastic about the EU market, despite the current EU plant drug market sales of 5 billion euros (equivalent to 45 billion yuan). A middle-class person of Shijiazhuang Group said that they are more concerned about the domestic market.

Tu Pengfei believes that the expiration of the "Directive" will not affect the sales channels of Chinese medicine in the European Union, because Chinese medicine does not enter the mainstream market in the EU, but is mainly sold in the Chinese community.

According to the latest customs statistics provided to the media by the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, in 2010, China’s Chinese medicine exports reached US$250 million, including four categories of health products, Chinese medicine extracts, proprietary Chinese medicines, and traditional Chinese medicines. Among them, the export volume of Chinese herbal extracts was 175 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 60% of all exports; the Chinese Herbal Medicine Pieces ranked second with 50 million U.S. dollars; the export data of Chinese patent medicines and health products were 12.33 million U.S. dollars and 12.52 million U.S. dollars, respectively.

Liu Zhanglin said that although domestic Chinese medicine companies have not yet registered through the EU, there are still variables in the long term. China should actively strive for opportunities that are favorable to it, continue to do EU work, strengthen cooperation between China and the EU in standards and certifications, and relevant government departments should also support key enterprises in various aspects.

In recent years, the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products has been promoting domestic enterprises with conditions to apply for registration, providing related training and consulting for enterprises, and organizing domestic enterprises to lobby and negotiate with the EU several times. Relevant departments are also trying to solve the plight of Chinese medicine companies may withdraw from the EU market.