(Yicai Global) Sept. 7 -- Chinese pharmaceutical developerTasly Holding Groupwillgrant US-based Arborasolelicenseto marketits traditional Chinese medicine for cardiovascular diseases to expedite thedrug'sUSclinical testingand marketing.It is the first TCM to ever make it to US Food and Drug administration Phase III trials.

Tianjin-headquarteredTasly and its USunit,Maryland-basedTasly Pharmaceuticals, in whichTasly holds 90percent,signed alicensingagreement withAtlanta, Georgia-based Arbor Pharmaceuticalsyesterday, Taslyannounced the same day.

Arbor will investup toUSD23 million in clinicalresearch and developmentandapplication forapproval ofthecompound Danshen dripping pillsby the US Food and Drug administrationin collaborationwith Tasly and its USaffiliate,for whichArborwill receivea paidexclusivemarketinglicense,perthe agreement.

Tasly and its USunitwillreceive up toUSD50 million and up to 50percentof the gross profitin royaltieswhen the pills appear on the market.

Compound Danshen dripping pills are made of a modern compound TCM Tasly exclusively developed thatpreventsand curescardiovascular diseases.It is derived from extracts of red sage root and Chinese ginseng root. TheFDAPhaseIII clinical research hasconcluded on themedication.

Double blind tests[testsin which neither test subjects nor administrators know whichis the control group andwhich isthe experimentalgroup]random controlled trials andacute mountain sicknessclinical researchisunderway inthe US state ofCalifornia,the announcementadded.

This cooperation will facilitateentry ofthe medicine into the local market usingArbor's mature sales network and rich resources in theUScardiovascular field.Itpaves the way for further cooperationandentry of more of the company's TCM medicineinto the US market.

Editor:Ben Armour