Media reports

1911 2025

New Hope for 300,000 Dementia Patients: A New Herbal Drug Unveils the Silent Killer of the Brain and Reveals a Glimmer of Hope for Treatment

New Hope for 300,000 Dementia Patients: New Herbal Drugs Unveil the Dawn of Treatment for the Silent Killer of the Brain

With the aging population, dementia has become a challenge that the entire population urgently needs to face. New herbal drugs, with their multi-target, low-side-effect, and early-intervention characteristics, have not only shown breakthrough potential in clinical applications but have also become a new investment track attracting attention in the capital market. On the 22nd, Botai Biomedical held the "Taiwan Herbal Drug Development Prospect Forum," inviting experts from industry, academia, and research to jointly focus on and discuss the key advantages of new herbal drugs in the prevention and early treatment of dementia, from theoretical and mechanism transfer to clinical research.

With an aging population, the number of people suffering from dementia is increasing year by year. According to statistics, by 2050, 150 million people worldwide will suffer from dementia, with care costs reaching as high as US$2.8 trillion. To date, Taiwan has more than 300,000 dementia patients. Alzheimer's disease was identified as being caused by the accumulation of amyloid protein as early as 1906. After a century of efforts, new drugs have finally been launched, bringing a glimmer of hope to the treatment of dementia.

Academia Sinica Academician Chen Chien-jen stated that dementia poses a significant challenge to human health. Not only does the body require care, but mental health is equally important. Looking back at the promotion of Long-Term Care 2.0 in 2016, it was found that dementia patients are among the most difficult groups to care for, a challenge faced by aging societies worldwide. Chen Chien-jen emphasized that while dementia cannot be completely avoided, prevention, early diagnosis, and early intervention can slow its progression. With the development of precision medicine, the medical community can now gain a deeper understanding of the causes of dementia through molecular diagnostic techniques and combine this with drug treatment to improve efficacy.

Academia Sinica Academician Chen Chien-jen stated that dementia poses a significant challenge to human health; not only does the body require care, but mental health is equally important.

In drug development, Taiwan's biomedical industry is showing vigorous momentum, especially with plant-derived drugs considered to play a crucial role in dementia treatment.

Chen Chien-jen emphasized that the US FDA has established a comprehensive review system for dementia drugs. This not only provides a reference for international standards but also helps Taiwan's research achievements to shine on the international stage. "Taiwan has every opportunity to start from local research, based in Taiwan, and look to the world, bringing new hope to dementia patients worldwide." Popular Biotech Chairman Hsu Yi-sheng stated that Taiwan is at a crucial moment in the development of new herbal drugs. He hopes to accelerate the application of new herbal drugs in dementia treatment through cross-disciplinary collaboration and clinical validation, bringing a more hopeful future to patients, families, and society. Looking back at the history of human medicine, before the discovery of small molecule drugs in 1930, humans mainly relied on herbal medicines and religion for survival. The 20th-century public health and medical revolution boosted the population, but facing increasingly complex viruses and diseases, single treatments are no longer sufficient. Furthermore, cancer has not yet been eradicated, and on average, a new dementia patient is diagnosed every 3 seconds—all areas where the medical community must strive.

Botai Biopharmaceutical Chairman Hsu Yi-sheng stated that Taiwan is at a crucial juncture in the development of new plant-based drugs, and hopes to accelerate the application of new plant-based drugs in the treatment of dementia through cross-disciplinary collaboration and clinical validation.

Hsu Yi-sheng emphasized that the diverse pathogenic mechanisms of diseases make single-target treatment difficult. Therefore, combination therapy and multi-target strategies are gradually becoming the trend. Herbal medicines, due to their safety, multifunctionality, and multi-target efficacy, meet the treatment needs of complex diseases such as dementia. With the advancement of AI technology, the analysis of the components and efficacy of herbal medicines can more quickly reach international standards. Coupled with Taiwan's agricultural foundation, advantages in cultivation technology, world-class biotechnology talent, and AI research and development capabilities, the conditions are complete, making it a promising base for the development of new herbal medicines globally.

◎Combining Nature and Science: The Potential of Integrated Therapeutic Development of New Plant Drugs

Former Vice President of Academia Sinica, Wang Huijun, analyzed the mechanism of action of new plant drugs and the international development trend of new plant drugs. Unlike small molecule drugs, medical research 20 years ago discovered that large molecule antibodies can also be used as drugs, especially in cancer treatment, becoming the origin of immunotherapy. In the past 10 years, with the advent of cell therapy, it has brought multiple aspects to the development of modern medicine. It is gratifying to see that cell therapy may also enter the field of dementia treatment in the future.

Former Vice President of Academia Sinica, Wang Huijun, analyzes the mechanism of plant regeneration and examines the international development trend of new plant drugs.

As of this year, there are currently 180 drug indications under clinical development. Due to the diverse nature of dementia and the high difficulty of single-target treatment, the 18-month course of treatment with Leyibao and Xinzhile costs approximately NT$1.5 million, which is not yet covered by National Health Insurance. Clinical guidelines are being developed.

Furthermore, drug resistance must also be considered, and some antibody drugs are toxic. Therefore, a multi-mechanism approach is necessary. Plants contain abundant active molecules, making them a usable element. This represents a key turning point in the international trend of plant-based new drugs moving from traditional to mainstream.

◎Multi-Indication Application: Unveiling a New Solution for Neurodegenerative Dementia

Lin Hsin-jung, Superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, shared his clinical experience and research observations, exploring the application and value of new herbal medicines in multiple treatment strategies. He also analyzed their potential in dementia treatment and health promotion, as well as their future development direction. He shared that single plants, such as Artemisia argyi water extract, have been proven to slow down memory aging in middle-aged rats, enhance calmness and orientation recognition abilities, and can also kill lung cancer mother cells and drug-resistant cells. It can comprehensively enhance the ability to clear intracellular waste, combat Parkinson's disease and metastatic colorectal cancer, liver cancer and triple-negative breast cancer cells, and also fight diabetes.

Due to the strong typhoon "Hakkasa", Lin Hsin-jung, superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, participated in the forum remotely via video conference, sharing his clinical experience and research observations to explore the application and value of new herbal drugs in multiple treatment strategies.

Lin Hsin-jung also shared that the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine with national cancer prevention policies has led to the successful treatment of drug-resistant cancer cells with Kangru concentrated extract. Version 2.0 can activate T cells and block escape gate proteins, and research on nine types of drug-resistant cancer cells is nearing completion. Version 3.0 incorporates Angelica sinensis extract, exploring its potential mechanisms of action against cancer cells and enhancing the ability of immune cells to attack them. Furthermore, the combination of BP and traditional Chinese medicine can treat malignant brain tumors, and exosome nano-antibodies can combat 11 types of cancer. Precision integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, achieving whole-genome testing, represents the last hope for cancer and rare diseases.

Regarding international regulations, Peng Chiung-fang, Honorary Chairman of the Taipei Biotechnology Service Industry Association, focused on the new trends in US FDA regulations for dementia drug development, analyzing the key advantages of new herbal drugs in dementia prevention and early treatment from the perspective of international regulatory changes. Peng Qiongfang cautioned that herbal medicines are not easily copied and have a long product lifespan, but GACP (Good Agricultural Practices and Harvesting Standards) must ensure the safety of raw material sources. All aspects of the environment from planting to extraction must be taken into consideration. She suggested that the industry should find the parameters before conducting clinical trials to increase the success rate. The FDA has declared that the US is the largest market for herbal medicines and introduced guidelines for new herbal drugs in 2016 in the hope of improving the success rate of submissions.

Peng Chiung-fang, Honorary Chairperson of the Taipei Biotechnology Service Industry Association, focused on the new regulatory trends of the US FDA regarding the development of dementia drugs, analyzing the key advantages of new herbal drugs in the prevention and early treatment of dementia.

Previous research on dementia drugs has largely focused on amyloid proteins. Peng Chiung-fang believes this is putting the cart before the horse, failing to identify the upstream causes. She points out that in the United States, 10% of patients over 65 years old have Alzheimer's disease, meaning there is a demand from as many as 62 million people in the US market. The FDA is currently accelerating the approval of dementia treatments, and in May of this year, it approved Alzheimer's testing. Taiwan has the opportunity to start with the end in mind and find better treatment methods. Furthermore, environmental pollutants, the food chain, and the accumulation of toxins, including endocrine disruptors and PM2.5, can cause significant brain damage. Whole-genome sequencing may be necessary. Peng Qiongfang also urged humanity to coexist with nature, stating, "When plants suffer from soil pollution, it will return to the human body through the food chain. Therefore, people must be more humble in practicing altruism."

Back to previous page