From Crinum latifolium L., Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram has done extensive research and found therapeutic effects of this miracle medicinal plant. After over 8 years, the medicine from Crinum latifolium L. has come to many patients in the country and abroad. This is a highly appreciated scientific achievement in domestic medicine.
Crila has conquered the U.S. market
Crila formulated and extracted from Vietnam Crinum latifolium L. for uterine fibroids and BPH treatment has surprisingly been accepted by the U.S. market. Mrs. Sue McKinney - Director of Crinum Health Company specializing in distributing herbal products in the U.S. - has brought Crila into the U.S. market since 2010. Nowadays, Crila is available in many parts of America.
Mrs. Sue said that to conquer the U.S. market, the scientific basis is an essential factor to convince consumers. So, she coordinated with Thien Duoc Company to examine this product in Eurofins - a reputable laboratory in America. This laboratory tested and verified that Crila meets the quality standard of FDA – this is really the basis for getting American consumers’ confidence in Crila. Not stop there, Vietnamese Crila continues penetrating into Canada, Russia, France and so on and being trusted by patients.
Pharmacist - Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram – the inventor of Crila - said that Crila is a medicine which is highly evaluated and appraised by the Council of Sciences and Technology - the Ministry of Health and regarded as one of the great achievements in domestic medicine. Currently, materials used to produce this product are purebred 20-ha-Crinum latifolium L. plantation in Long Thanh - Dong Nai cultivated under GACP–WHO criterion. This is the first medicinal plantation in Vietnam to require GACP–WHO criterion. Products are manufactured at the company factory which meets GMP (Good Manufacture Practices), GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) and GSP (Good Storage Practices) criteria.
Dr. Tram added Crila was experienced clinical trials at National Institute of Gerontology, National Hospital of Traditional Medicine, HCMC Hospital of Traditional Medicine, National Hospital of Maternity, and Tu Du Hospital. Treatment results for BPH are at 89.18% and at 79.5 % for uterine fibroids. The test results confirmed that patients can rely on Vietnamese quality and safe herbal products. The fact that Crila has been welcomed by U.S. market and other countries is a significant achievement of Vietnamese medicine.
Crinum latifolium L. turned into precious medicine
To gain this today success, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram has overcome many difficulties. She said, ‘I still remember that after the research work on medicine for the treatment of BPH formulated from alkaloids extracted from Vietnam Crinum latifolium L. leaves had been successfully published in 2004, there were no enterprises offering technology transfer. I myself managed to bring the product to market. In the early days, there were so many difficulties; I had to put my own “land use right certificate” in pawn to borrow money from the bank to purchase equipment, machinery, and so on for production.
In 2005, the Ministry of Health allowed Crila for nationwide circulation with high treatment efficacy, suitable price with low-income workers which only costs 1/5 to 1/10 compared with imported medicines for BPH and 1/20 with imported medicines for uterine fibroids. Crila not only has lower price but also higher treatment efficacy than imported medicinal products.
So far, Dr. Tram has achieved her great success in research career and business. From Crinum latifolium L., she created four products including Crila, Crila Forte, Crilin, and Crinum latifolium L. teabag. As a scientist who is always concerned about poor patients, she did not prioritize the profit in business. To get low price, the manufacturing process must be managed closely for maximum savings. Patients recognize the true value of medicines despite little invest to advertising and marketing. She said, ‘After the research work and production of medicine from Crinum latifolium L., have completed, some foreign pharmaceutical companies are willing to pay large sums for the technology process, but I have rejected for I want this product to serve people in our country and gradually help assert Vietnamese medicine on domestic and global pharmaceutical market.’
Speaking of the production of herbal medicines available in Vietnam, Dr. Tram has a preoccupation. Our country has extremely rich and diverse source of medicinal materials but Vietnamese medicine remains limited. Our country has no specific policies to encourage scientists to focus on researching. Thus, many studies have high applicability but are still difficult to transfer technology to serve the community. Not all scientists have enough financial capacity to produce by themselves and put their researched products to the market. If there are appropriate mechanisms, Vietnam certainly can actively supply 70% of medicine demand with low price, reducing the burden for millions of patients.
Not stop there, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram is currently continuing studying Crila’s effects on inhibiting the growth of tumor cells for supporting cancer treatment, enhancing body resistance. If this research is successful, it will bring big hope to cancer patients.