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Nanyang Poly and Eu Yan Sang Set Up Singapore’s First Collaborative Laboratory to Boost Local TCM Research |
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| Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and Eu Yan Sang International Ltd (EYS) have set up a laboratory for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) research. The NYP-EYS collaborative laboratory, located in NYP, is the first TCM research lab in Singapore set up jointly by an educational institution and a TCM company. Mr Chan Lee Mun, NYP’s Principal and CEO said: “We're very delighted that Eu Yan Sang, a leading and trusted local brand name in TCM, has chosen to collaborate with NYP in TCM product development and research. The launch of this collaborative lab attests to NYP's commitment to working closely with our industry partners. This lab will also enhance NYP’s capabilities in applied TCM research and offer attachment opportunities for our Life Sciences students to gain insights into how TCM products are developed, manufactured, and brought to the market.” EYS, a leader in the TCM industry, has 130 years of experience in TCM. NYP was chosen to partner EYS because of its strong expertise and experience in pharmacology, natural product and TCM research. The NYP-EYS collaborative laboratory will further strengthen NYP’s capabilities in natural product development and herbal medicine research. Mr Richard Eu, Group CEO of Eu Yan Sang International Ltd, said, “This collaborative lab marks yet another milestone for Eu Yan Sang as it is the first TCM R&D lab in Singapore with an institute of higher learning. This is Eu Yan Sang’s continuous effort to integrate science and technology with the arts of traditional Chinese medicine. With this facility we are able to do more research work on TCM to address concerns on efficacy and safety issues on Chinese medicines and to ensure that only authentic, quality products are made available to consumers.” Supported by SPRING Singapore, the NYP-EYS collaborative laboratory’s first project is a purified and re-concentrated version of red yeast rice extract, a popular Asian traditional food supplement recognised to lower blood cholesterol. This new version can potentially reduce the dosage that an individual would need to consume. The red yeast rice extract will be purified through a novel three-step extraction process developed by NYP and EYS. This process will remove toxins and impurities, as well as a novel compound (or compounds) which can induce herbal-drug reaction in red yeast rice consumers who are also taking Western medication for various health and illness reasons. NYP and EYS have filed a patent for the extraction process and are now working to develop and manufacture the product on a commercial scale. Several other joint research projects between NYP and EYS are in the pipeline for the Laboratory. Commending the partnership, Mr Ted Tan, Deputy Chief Executive of SPRING Singapore, said, "The partnership between Eu Yan Sang and Nanyang Polytechnic is an excellent example of how Singapore companies, especially SMEs, can tap on the R&D knowledge cove in our polytechnics to develop commercially viable products and services. This 'research and application' formula can help more Singapore companies develop first-in-the-market products and services, and break into new markets overseas. Our heartiest congratulations to Eu Yan Sang and Nanyang Polytechnic on this significant milestone in TCM research." In addition, students studying for the Diploma in Molecular Biotechnology and the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences at NYP’s School of Chemical & Life Sciences will also have an opportunity to do research and final-year projects at this laboratory.
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