On December 17th a ceremony to mark the completion of construction and start of production of GPHL International (Macau) Pharmaceutical Factory ('Pharmaceutical Factory') as well as a plaque unveiling ceremony for the Joint Laboratory for Industrialization of Chinese Medicine was held in Macao.

The Pharmaceutical Factory as well as the Joint Laboratory for Industrialization of Chinese Medicine set up by GPHL and University of Macau (UM) is a symbolic project with which GPHL aims to promote moderate economic diversification in Macao. The former is Macao's first Chinese medicine pharmaceutical factory with its design and construction meeting GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice for Pharmaceutical Products) standards. The latter was built based on the structure of the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (University of Macau).

At the plaque unveiling ceremony of Macau Institute of Translational Medicine and Innovation on the same day, GPHL outlined the current achievements of 'Banlangen' (Radix isatidis) redevelopment and the industrialization project in Macao. Baiyunshan Banlangen will likely be one of the first registered proprietary Chinese medicine products after the city has released a law to regulate Chinese medicine.

The Chinese medicine industry is one of the industries that Macao has focused on in fostering a moderately diversified economy. Macao has obvious advantages in the development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry, but there has been a lack of proprietary Chinese medicine production bases that comply with GMP standards.

In early 2020, GPHL established its international headquarters in the city for facilitating cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, promoting moderate economic diversification, and accelerating Chinese medicine to go global, and sought to build a proprietary Chinese medicine production base in compliance with GMP standards to produce proprietary Chinese medicines in Macao with standards and norms.

The pharmaceutical factory is located in the Macau Qingzhou Cross-border Industrial Zone. The first phase of the project covers an area of ??2,341.82 square meters. It is equipped with Chinese medicine granules, water honey pills, big honey pills, hard capsules, soft capsules, tablets, and linimentum. Those production lines of preparations have obtained qualifications such as the "Pharmaceutical Industry Production License" issued by the Macao SAR Government. It is the largest and the first traditional Chinese medicine preparation manufacturing demonstration factory in Macau that meets modern GMP management. In the second phase, production lines for oral liquids, beverages, and emulsions will be gradually laid, and a batch of 'Made in Macao' fine Chinese medicines and great health products will be developed.

It is reported that the first batch of 'Made in Macao' products of GPHL include Baiyunshan Banlangen Granules, An Gong Niu Huang Wan, Ganoderma Lucidum Spore Oil, etc. The follow-up will continue to introduce proprietary Chinese medicine products such as Nao Xin Qing Tablets, Xueshuan Tong Capsules, Jiawei Huoxiang Zhengqi Wan, and Er Tian You. In particular, the global version of Ganoderma Lucidum Spore Oil has already been launched in Macao. The products can be delivered directly to the rest of the world after they are purchased in Macao.

"GPHL International (Macau) Pharmaceutical Factory is the specific approach for GPHL to facilitate the modernization and industrialization of quality Chinese medicine projects in Macao," GPHL chairman Li Chuyuan said. "Next, GPHL will make full use of the city's advantages of 'one country, two systems', to sell our products at home and abroad, and expand both domestic and global markets."

On the day of the event, GPHL and UM also held the opening ceremony of the Joint Laboratory for Industrialization of Chinese Medicine. The two parties will further deepen their cooperation, relying on the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine at the UM to promote the modernization of Chinese medicine. At present, efforts are being made to develop authentic medicinal materials and establish standards, re-evaluate Chinese patent medicines after going to market, develop new products, study the quality and process of classic prescriptions such as Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang, etc.

Since the establishment of its Macao headquarters, GPHL has been committed to the promotion of Macao's Chinese medicine industry with technology and innovation. In the first project launched in Macao, the Group worked with the Guangzhou Research Institute for Respiratory Diseases and Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) to facilitate the industrialization of the latest findings of Banlangen produced by Baiyunshan in Macao.

In addition to the research cooperation with UM and MUST and the establishment of GPHL International (Macau) Pharmaceutical Factory, GPHL established Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (Hengqin) Chinese Medicine Industrial Park Co., Ltd. at the GMTCM Park. This company will serve as a pharmaceutical research, development, and industrialization platform to expand the room for growth of the Macao headquarters. It is introducing several projects, such as the Hengqin Sub-center of International Engineering Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicines Extraction and Isolation and Hengqin pharmaceutical supply chain for GPHL.

Authors: Monica & Michelle

Editors: Olivia & Jerry