A new formulation containing eleven crude drugs devised by the cooperative research project in Toyama

Toyama Prefecture of Japan has promoted the production of traditional formulations containing crude drugs for self medication (Haichi-Yaku), which are designed for use by patients who have a fragile constitution. In 2001, a cooperative research project was organized to update the conventional tonic Haichi-Yaku to satisfy the requests of patients (or pre-patients) with lifestyle-related diseases due to excessive food intake. The present review describes the selection procedure for the 11 crude drugs included in a new formulation on the basis of precedents in conventional tonic formulations, traditional Chinese medical tacit knowledge and scientific pharmacological evidence. It also reports that the new formulation has pharmacological activities suitable for preventing lifestyle-related disease lesions, as planned. These results indicate that the new formulation is a promising candidate for modern-day self-medication. In August 2005, permission for practical production of the new formulation (named PanaWang) was granted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, and this formulation will be sold in a home-selling system from the beginning of 2006.