The reputation of the scientist Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram associated with many important research projects in the field of domestic medicine, especially CRILA product - a medicine for uterine fibroids and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A recent collaborative project “Research of stimulation of the immune system against cancer of some substances extracted from Crinum latifolium L.” confirmed again her reputation as well as the hope of many patients with the diseases that are still an insolvable problem for the international medicine industry.

At the age of retirement, she took the burden of responsibility as Director of Thien Duoc Company. For her, it is not only a mere business but a desire to make Vietnamese-branded CRILA product reach out to stand firm on the international market, also serve human and enrich our country. She told reporters of Vietnamese Financial Times about her aspirations

What is the motivation that makes you, a scientist do business?

So far, I am still a scientist; I will never stop researching. Currently, I am continuing researching on a number of medicinal plants used as raw materials to produce medicine for hemorrhoids, virility in men, beautification in women, tonic for women after delivery and so on. My duty and desire is to make CRILA product derived from Crinum latifolium L. plant not only meet the pharmaceutical domestic market but also on the international market. I want to prove that Vietnam has the ability to create products that cure BPH and uterine fibroids.

Although I am at age of retirement, I still habour the ambitions of creating many new medicine products from rich herbal resources of our country one day, creating more work for workers with higher income and curing the Vietnamese by a cheaper medicine). Therefore, the Government does not have to pay foreign currency for importing medicine but take some through exporting Vietnamese-branded medicines. Currently, along with research and production to create new pharmaceutical products from my research with my colleagues in Vietnam and foreign country, I still want to continue studying. Thien Duoc Company is sufficiently equipped research labs and equipment in order for me and my colleagues to keep on our career. Those are the reasons why I, a scientist, do business and take over the position as Director of Thien Duoc Company.

For those who spent lifelong career devoting to research work, now switching to doing business, another way to continue providing for studying, what difficulties did you meet with?

Starting any new jobs is always associated with difficulties at the beginning, even in science and in business. For me, the business is likely to be very new. If in scientific research, I am always working hard and diligently, researching, discovering and creating to find the results from the laboratory to reality to apply them into production. Meanwhile, in business, I have to pay attention to many things such as the capital, the organization of production and labor management, especially the capital, because my father often said, ‘a hungry belly has no ears.’ For me, being a person who has devoted the whole life to scientific research, the amount of capital that I saved is too little. Luckily, CRILA was concerned and included in the list of three national products of medicine industry by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology, which is invested for research and development, aiming to serve community health and export.

My success has once again demonstrated the regard of the authorities for scientific researchers who want to use their research results to serve life. In other words, it’s extremely important to perform via form of business. This will also create the basis for an increasing number of scientists in the country who bravely put their research works into production application and business to manufacture products of national stature, contributing to our homeland enrichment.

Many readers of Vietnamese Financial Times are still confused since there are so many products extracted from Crinum latifolium L. leaves. on the market. As the author of this remedy, can you tell them how to distinguish between CRILA product and others which are also formulated from Crinum latifolium L. plant and how to use CRILA capsule in the most effective way?

In fact, many patients have called me to complain about the situation. Through Vietnamese Financial Times, I want to confirm again, CRILA product of Thien Duoc Company is a medicine that is allowed for circulation on the market to treat uterine fibroids and BPH by the Ministry of Health. The research results and clinical trials of Vietnamese scientists have proved the therapeutic efficacy of CRILA is 89.18% for BPH and 79.5% for uterine fibroids. Therefore, patients should follow the instructions, not arbitrarily buy products even made from Crinum latifolium L plant since they are just supplements, not medicines. Medicines are used to cure disease whilst dietary supplements are used to prevent diseases. When having uterine fibroids or BPH, you absolutely must use medicines in the hope of curing the disease. When buying medicines, patients need to distinguish between dietary supplement and medicine. Whereby you should use the products that have been studied to prevent the toxicity of other plants that are easily confused with Crinum latifolium L. In fact, in Vietnam there are 12 plants of Crinum genus looking alike Crinum latifolium L. plant. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish them by the naked eyes but by genetic test.