Tangning Tongluo Tablets (糖宁通络片), an innovative traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) independently developed by a pharmaceutical company in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, has received approval from the Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau of the Macao SAR to begin a Phase III clinical trial.
The approval marks Macao's first pre-authorization for a clinical trial of a new TCM drug. The trial will be conducted at Kiang Wu Hospital for the treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Developed by Beletalent (Zhuhai) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (百灵毓秀（珠海）医药有限公司), the drug was approved by China's National Medical Products Administration in November 2024 to proceed directly to Phase III clinical trials for diabetic retinopathy based on clinical-use experience. It is now set to undergo Phase III trials in both the Chinese mainland and Macao.
This Macao approval provides a new model for cross-border clinical research on TCMs and demonstrates how pharmaceutical companies in Hengqin can leverage the cooperation zone's links with Macao to advance drug development and registration across the two markets.
The company established operations in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in 2023 and set up a Macao subsidiary to handle drug applications and registration in the city.
Reporter | Zeng Xiangxing
Photo | Nanfang Plus
