Traditional meds pose tough challenge to manufacturing

Companies hoping to unravel the mysteries of traditional medicines from China and elsewhere may find them particularly challenging to manufacture. Huang qin tang, for example, a four-herb medicine that mitigates nausea, diarrhea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, contains 62 active ingredients that work on the body in different ways, The Wall Street Journal reports. Using it is like taking several different medications for different symptoms, research by a Yale physician has found. Part of the challenge is that the ratio of those ingredients can vary depending on the conditions under which the herbs are grown, posing another trick for formulating and manufacturing. Story