On July 21, the Drug Administration in Vietnam – the Ministry of Health allowed CRILA capsule totally extracted from Crinum latifolium L. leaves for nationwide circulation after three clinical trials stages 1, 2, 3 under the regulation No. 371 of the Ministry. This was good news for patients with enlarged prostate and uterine fibroids, etc. in Vietnam and also for patients outside Vietnam border.

I just wonder whether the word "secret" should be used again in this article or not? Because in 2000 - when showing me around the Crinum latifolium L. plantation, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram told me, ‘You are the first journalist to see the Crinum latifolium L. plantation. Now it is in the secret stage, but I would like you to see to know it in advance.’ (!) Then she explained (in sum), ‘Crinum latifolium L. is difficult to distinguish from some plants looking like it. To have this correct Crinum latifolium L. plantation, I worked really hard to search for plants in many parts of our country, and then domesticated them, serving the research on treatment for prostatic and uterine fibroids ... but the final result is onwards so I should be very careful.’
What Dr. Ngoc Tram said was what I got. However, I also got a day to relax in this quiet plantation. The farm tucked away in a corner of Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, surrounded by rows of eucalyptus and bamboos. Green “Royal Virgin” aligned straight in each bed. Each group of employees worked hard. They were weeding, tending each leaf ... At the end of the day, Mrs. Tram took me to isolated gardens in which these plants looked outwardly identical to those I took photos in this morning, but she said they were not Crinum latifolium L. She directed me the characteristics of Crinum latifolium L. in detail to distinguish these plants from genuine Crinum latifolium L. I just knew what she said because I was so blind about botany. However, I did not forget to take photos the “fake” Crinum latifolium L. to bring back home for... research (!).
Only a few months later, I was invited to attend the ceremony which officially approved the project ‘Research of accomplishment of total Alkaloid - extraction technology process from Crinum latifolium L. leaves used as materials to formulate drugs for treating prostatic and uterine fibroids’ conducted by Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram with the attendance of the Council of Science and Technology - the Ministry of Health.
The narrow meeting room of the National Phytopharma Company No.2 (now National phytopharma joint-stock company No.2) on Nguyen Thi Nghia street (District 1 - HCMC) was becoming more cramped as welcoming Professors, officials of the Ministry of Health from Hanoi and other guests. However, after a day of hard work, with critical remarks and speeches of reputed guests such as Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of Institute of Chemical Technology, Chairman of Acceptance Board, and Prof. Dr. Do Tat Loi - who is considered the "king" of national pharmaceutical industry, and so on, 9 members of the board, including one alternative member voted 9 in 9 ayes for evaluated conclusion: suggesting that the project is officially approved.
I paid special attention to the letter of Dr. Lai Nang Hiep - Department of Science and Training - the Ministry of Health, a member of acceptance board for reasons of force majeure could not arrive at HCM City to attend this event, so that he sent a lengthy letter suggesting the Council to read ahead his opinion in front of audiences.
A paragraph of the letter said, ‘This is a patient, meticulous, and enthusiastic researching and working process... Launching Crinum latifolium L. tea bag to the market is a rational work, meeting the need of “Crinum latifolium L. craze”, and also using short-term goals. The subject required the scientific criteria to be officially approved by the Ministry of Health.
At that time, although National phytopharma joint-stock company No.2 just started on producing “Crinum latifolium L. tea bag” from her research result for patients with uterine fibroid and benign prostatic hyperplasia, it received many letters praising treatment effects of this drug tea…
Bringing back home thick summarized research report by Dr. Ngoc Tram with the chemical formulas as messed up as a network diagram of electronic semiconductor and many other references to Crinum latifolium L. for “self-research”, my obtuse mind was broadened a little.
Owning the fact that, long time ago, in our country, “greedy” kings brought a lot of beautiful girls to their palaces. Many royal virgins were not noticed for their whole lives, so that, they were likely to have gynecological diseases. Royal physicians used a kind of medicinal plant as a treatment for virgins. Later, that plant was called “Royal Virgin” (Crinum latifolium L.)
People have long been using the genuine Crinum latifolium L. leaves, which has treatment efficacy for the diseases, which today we call breast tumors, ovarian cysts in women, benign prostatic hyperplasia in men, and so on. On that basis, since 1990, Dr. in chemistry Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram has combined experiences of royal physicians to collect Crinum latifolium L. bulbs from Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang and then bred, reared in Ho Chi Minh city and produced in the form of tea which was approved for nationwide circulation by National Phytopharma joint-stock company No.2. According to the feedback of users, the result was very positive; ultrasound test showed fibroid was much reduced or even omitted. However, to formulate more highly active medicines which are cheap, effective, without side effects like European and American drugs in chemotherapy and radiation therapy, we must rely on modern research method. This means Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram has to overcome a difficult firewall.
Mrs. Tram once said to me, ‘Our scientists are very talented…but we can’t afford to buy modern millions-dollar machines?’ However, being a scientist full of talent and courage, Dr. Ngoc Tram researched the basics in the country while collaborating to research the subject with the Bulgarian Academy of Science, where she defended a doctoral thesis and then was invited to work as an assistant professor in Organic Chemistry of Sofia University, Bulgaria in 1985.
Thanks to the modern equipment in Bulgaria, Dr. Ngoc Tram and her foreign colleagues could extract compounds with bioactivity to inhibit the growth of tumor cells. Nowadays, it is because the widespread of fibroid disease and information about Crinum latifolium L. attracts many scientists to work in research. At the same time, in the 90s, they created “the informational confusion” about Crinum latifolium L. so that Prof. Dr. Do Tat Loi had to speak out in 1998.
One fine morning in late 2001, according to the appointments I waited to "secretly" visit the facilities which prepared Crinum latifolium L. leaves for Crinum latifolium L. tea ... But then a phone call came, Mrs Tram said she had to unscheduledly fly to Bulgaria soon to welcome Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and the Government of Vietnam to visit Bulgaria, along with Vietnamese community in Bulgaria. Our Embassy said Dr. Ngoc Tram would have to report to the Prime Minister on the scientific research subject cooperating with her Bulgarian friends.
After that trip to Bulgaria in 2001, Mrs. Tram showed me the photo of Mr. and Mrs. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, two comrades of Vietnam Embassy and her. When she came back to Vietnam, the photo was brought to her as a gift by an officer of the Prime Minister. At the bottom of the photo is a red line "Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s gift". I asked Dr. Tram ‘What did the Prime Minister comment on the subject of Crinum latifolium L.?’ Dr. Tram said, ‘After hearing my report, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was very pleased…’
Now, it is in no secret. She invited me publicly to visit the Research Development and Manufacture CRINA Center, and she also invited some journalists to pay a visit to Crinum latifolium L. plantation that 5 years ago, I was the only one to see "secretly"!
Dr. Ngoc Tram…asked me to take off sandals, put on new sandals, wash hands, wear a white blouse ... before entering the Crila drugs washing, blending, drying, packing room, etc., of the Pharmaceutical CRINA Center, under National phytopharma joint-stock company No. 2 where she is the director. All were neat and clean. Even the air was "brought down from above" as she introduced. I was told every 3 days, the center produced 1,000,000 Crila capsules; “It is the initial modest figure”, she said.
Five years ago, I was fortunate to visit “secretly” her “Royal Virgin” plantation. Later I recognized that she wanted me to "witness" to her serious work while science was confusing between the fake and genuine. Now, everything is transparent.
Through times seeing Dr. Tram, and witnessing her work, I have recognized her as an honest, talent and courageous scientist. She has a deep feeling for her homeland. Sitting with her in restaurant, I never saw her refuse to buy a few lottery tickets for a child or an old woman. After buying, she put them away, how can she have time to check whether she wins or not!

Noted by LE PHU KHAI