China's pharma firm launches operations in US

WASHINGTON - Tasly Holding Group, a leading pharmaceutical company in China, officially launched its North American operations in the state of Maryland Wednesday as part of its "go-out" efforts to further expand its business of traditional Chinese medicine overseas.

The company, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in May, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its office in Rockville, Maryland, to mark the official launch of Tasly Pharmaceuticals as its North American headquarters, with about 150 guests from the Maryland state government and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in attendance.

"Tasly has comprehensively implemented the strategy of internationalization," Xijun Yan, chairman of Tasly, said at the ceremony. "Establishment of Tasly Pharmaceutials is one of the most important strategies that we take. We have positioned Tasly Pharmaceuticals as our overseas headquarters, with the full support provided by Tasly Group."

He said Tasly's products and services cover biopharmaceutical drugs, healthcare products, medical rehabilitation and health management, with a total revenue of $4 billion in 2013.

"I strongly believe that our natural products will contribute to reducing the Medicare cost and effectively resolving certain healthcare-related issues of the US healthcare system," Yan said.

"China has been the leader in healing for thousands of years" and Tasly's traditional Chinese medicine "is opening up a whole new chapter of Maryland's life sciences community," said Dominick Murray, Maryland's Business and Economic Development Secretary, adding that they are "excited" to have the new Chinese investment in the state, which is home to more than 500 bioscience companies.

Tasly's products have been approved by national health regulatory authorities in at least 34 countries.

Its Fufang Danshen dripping pill, a multi-herb-based treatment for stable angina pectoris, the medical term for chest pain or discomfort, is now in a phase three clinical trial in the US and several other countries.

The company said it expected the pill to be the first ever multi-herb-based and chemical-free pharmaceutical product approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Tasly also plans to launch Deepure, a line of nutraceuticals that are gluten-free and made without preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or gelatin, in the US this fall.

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