Wei Liang asked in disbelief, “And why exactly is that?”
Smith said, “Because in our opinion, there are some cooling and analgesic ingredients used in that kind of hemorrhoid suppository, and this kind of ingredient can let patients relieve pain, but it can only relieve pain, in our opinion, these ingredients not only can’t really treat the lesion, but it is likely that they will also cover up the condition as a result, thus delaying the scientific treatment of patients, so we also issued a warning some time ago, reminding patients using this drug to be careful to screen it and not to ignore the core problem because of the relief of superficial symptoms.”
“In addition to this, we have also researched a certain something combined with tablets that used to sell very well in China, which was said to be a special cold medicine made from honeysuckle and forsythia with some western ingredients.”
“But after our research, we found that in that kind of medicine, what really plays a therapeutic role are two western ingredients, one is a common medicine to reduce fever and pain, acetaminophen; and the other is a medicine specifically used to relieve allergies, rhinitis and symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose, paracetamol, the two of them combined just enough to treat fever and cold and runny nose. ”
Here, Smith spread his hands and said seriously and with a touch of helplessness, “Mr. Wei, I am also not deliberately targeting you, or traditional medicine in the East as a whole.”
“But think about it, if you, Jiu Xuan Pharmaceutical, also casually used some plant ingredients, and then paired it with Metformin, a western ingredient that can control blood sugar, and then just claimed to the public that it is a Chinese medicine that can effectively lower blood sugar, then do you think it is possible that we would approve such a drug to be marketed?”
“This is why, we have always been very, very cautious with Oriental medicines, medicine is a very rigorous discipline, it must be clear and unambiguous before it can be done, it cannot be irresponsibly and recklessly pieced together.”
Wei Liang also felt a little embarra*sed and said stiffly, “Mr. Smith, I do not deny what you have just said, there are a few so-called Chinese medicines, or medicines combining East and West, which are indeed suspected of selling dog’s meat with sheep’s head, but I think that you cannot beat all traditional Oriental medicine medicines to death just because there have been such cases, there are still many, many excellent medicines.”
Smith nodded: “I certainly don’t deny that, but what I want to say is that even excellent traditional Oriental medicine medicines must meet all our FDA requirements before they can enter our market, so if your medicine wants to be sold in the US market, you must let us first find out all its ingredients and the uses of each ingredient with potential dangers.”
Wei Liang asked rhetorically, “Then if, as you just said, the ingredients of many proprietary Chinese medicines are so complex that they may not even be explained by a few ingredients, or even to dozens or hundreds, then how can we determine each one of them?”
Smith shrugged, “If we can’t determine them one by one, then we’ll have to pa*s without.”
Wei Liang asked again, “Even if you know that this medicine is very effective, but just because you can’t fully determine the ingredients as well as the effects, you refuse to put it on sale?”
“Yes.” Smith said categorically, “That’s our attitude, even if this drug is really effective, it absolutely cannot be marketed until we have figured it out.”
Wei Liang couldn’t help but ask, “Then don’t you think that this is also a loss for the American people?”
“A loss?” Smith heard this and said in a more or less contemptuous tone, “Mr. Wei, to be honest, for all the Eastern medicines that I currently know of, we have plenty of alternatives in the US, and safer and more efficient ones at that!”
“Whether it’s about headaches, brain fever, or all organs, blood vessels and the nervous system, including the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, we have everything in your Eastern traditional medicine, and our Western treatments are much better than your Eastern treatments!!!”