Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

Proven Authentication Capability The U n i v e r s i t y has over 20 years o f experience authenticating Chinese medicinal materials. I t was the earliest institution involved in verifiying the chemical properties of medicinal herbs from their appearance an d analysis of their ingredients. It was also the earliest to use biotechnology to determine the quality of dry materials, and the earliest to receive US patent for its technology. I n 1998, the first case o f counterfeit Chinese medicinal herbs in the territory was reported, and samples in suspected poisoning cases were sent by the police to the University for authentication. In the absence o f government control over the import and retail of Chinese medicinal materials, it has been the practice o f hospitals, the death tribunal, the police, and even overseas organizations to send problematic samples to the University for testing and assessment. I n the area o f quality control, the Laboratory for Quality Control o f Chinese Medicines, set up five years ago, has been c o l l abo r a t i ng w i t h the loca l Chinese pharmaceutical industry and health food manufacturers in testing over 150 Chinese drugs. The laborabory also assists the industry in monitoring the quality of the products and in obtaining approval for importing medicinal materials. The Standardization and Safety of Chinese Medicines Section of the I CM w i l l now take over the job of the laboratory and offer more services to the industry. Modern Facilities for Clinical Trials Based at the Prince of Wales Hospital ， the Clinical Trials Section of the ICM is also linked to Kwong Wah Hospital, where it-provides consultancy services to practitioners of both Chinese and modem medicine. Currently the section is conducting researc h into diabetes-induced foot ulcers ， and w i ll soon embark on research related to hepatitis, lung cancer, asthma, athritis, chronic pain and other areas. Although modern medicine has made good use of technology and yielded ver y successful results, it is still inadequate in many areas, such as viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and chronic pain. Better treatment for these diseases may be sought from within the realm of Chinese medicine. Guest touringthefirst drug evaluation laboratoryin Hong Kong on 27thJanuary. Its work is to carry outsafety studieson drug products and to certify drug efficacy toensure they meet internationally recognized standards ofquality. Its scope will be extended to include Chinese medicine. Quality Control Laboratory Chinese Universit y Bulleti n Sprin g • Summer 2 0 00 22