China-Pakistan joint herbal medicine lab begins operations

June 05, 2026 (MLN): China and Pakistan have launched a joint laboratory dedicated to herbal medicine research and development.

This marked a significant milestone in scientific collaboration between the two countries and strengthening cooperation in traditional medicine, as APP reported. 

The Zhejiang-Pakistan Joint Laboratory on R&D of Herbal Medicine was officially unveiled on June 4 during the 2026 International Symposium on Traditional Chinese Medicine–Unani Medicine Cooperation and SCO Member States Traditional Medicine Industry Exchange Forum held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

The laboratory is a provincial-level international science and technology cooperation platform approved by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology in December 2025.

Established on the Chinese side through the Institute of Drug Discovery Technology at Ningbo University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of Ningbo University and Ningbo Kangning Hospital, the initiative brings together leading institutions from both countries.

Pakistani partners include the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at the University of Karachi and the University of Lahore, according to China Economic Net (CEN).

Professor Zhao Yufen, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the Institute of Drug Discovery Technology at Ningbo University, will chair the Academic Committee of the Joint Laboratory.

Professor Liu Xinmin of the Institute of Drug Discovery Technology has been appointed as the Chinese director of the laboratory, while Professor Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, chief scientist at the University of Karachi and the University of Lahore, will serve as the Pakistani director.

The laboratory comprises a multidisciplinary team of 50 researchers, including 30 Chinese and 20 international experts. The team represents diverse fields such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Unani Medicine, pharmacy, medicine, biology, chemistry, artificial intelligence, and policy and regulatory sciences.

According to the organizers, the laboratory will focus on preclinical and clinical studies of traditional Chinese medicine, international registration of herbal products, academic exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at developing scientific talent in the field.

In a parallel development, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Traditional Medicine Industry Alliance (SCO-TMIA) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in traditional medicine.

The agreement covers clinical research, policy and regulatory studies, product registration facilitation, and talent development programmes related to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Unani Medicine.

The initiative is expected to promote knowledge-sharing, strengthen scientific research, and advance the integration of traditional medicine practices among member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Islamic world.

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