An official (second from left) from the drug regulatory authority of Australia inspects the production line of Lanzhou Foci Pharmaceutical Co Ltd in Lanzhou, Gansu province. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Lanzhou Foci Pharma's smart plants make its concentrated pills potent planet-wide
Gansu province-based Lanzhou Foci Pharmaceutical Co Ltd is becoming well known the world over for its concentrated pills, a unique type of traditional Chinese medicine or TCM for a range of diseases or conditions like asthma, diabetes, tuberculosis, cataract, hypertension and hepatitis.
These pills have been exported to 28 countries and regions already, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil and Singapore, suggesting they are gaining traction in the global drug market for their efficacy.
The pills contain Chinese herbal extracts in concentrated form, so a very small amount is potent and can prove effective. The pill is much smaller and lighter than conventional medicines. Patients only need to take two such pills to achieve the same efficacy as five normal pills. Therefore, the concentrated pills are popular among foreign patients because they would like to take as few pills as possible.
Foci Pharma's concentrated pills are easy to swallow and absorb. They also have a relatively longer shelf life, company executives said.
"Overseas patients trust our products, because we use authentic ingredients, superb craftsmanship, to produce medicine that is effective and easy to take," said Sun Yu, general manager of Foci Pharma.
The brand was founded by Yu Huiguan in 1929. He invented the concentrated pill, and used then cutting-edge technology to improve TCM.
Two years later, Foci Pharma began to export its concentrated pills to Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
Historical records show that the concentrated pill proved popular soon after it was introduced in markets abroad－patients spoke highly of it, and demand outstripped supply.
Zhang Bihua, associate chief pharmacist of the department of pharmacy at Beijing Hospital, said: "Concentrated pills are small in size, so patients find them easy to take. The medicine is efficacious. In addition, concentrated pills are mold-proof."
The company now owns 25 production lines, which are all approved by drug regulators in countries like Australia, Japan and Ukraine.
