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AVAC Helps SinoVeda Take a Scientific Approach to Herbal Medicinet

Many people believe that there is little herbal or traditional medicine can’t do when it comes to improving health and treating illness. Unfortunately, until recently, the one thing herbal medicine couldn’t do was explain how it worked or standardize the formula necessary to achieve results. Thanks in part to Edmonton-based SinoVeda, and a $2.9 million investment from AVAC, that is changing.

"We’re working to take the uncertainty out of herbs," explains Dr. Yun K. Tam, SinoVeda’s president and CSO and a former professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Alberta. Together with his wife, Dr. Nuzhat Tam-Zaman, an expert in pharmacokinetics, Dr. Tam is working to develop a unique line of phytomedicinal products that takes a scientific approach to herbal medicine.

“Good pharmaceutical companies have been trying to find a way to identify, separate and purify the active ingredients in herbal or natural products for years. We’ve created a patented process that allows us to find the active ingredients in each herb without purification and create an ingredient profile. This profile tells us the quantity and ratio of each active ingredient and how they interact with each other, making it possible to standardize that particular herb, and produce pills that are of pharmaceutical grade. “

SinoVeda was established in 2006 and began working with AVAC in 2007. Dr. Tam saw the fit with AVAC, both because of AVAC’s commitment to value-added products and their willingness to invest in high tech companies like SinoVeda. “AVAC really liked the idea of having the madein- Alberta technology to add value to grown-in-Alberta products,” notes Tam. Using their unique pharmaceutical approach, SinoVeda has already begun developing a line of human phytomedicinal products that utilize Alberta-grown red clover for the treatment of osteoporosis. The patented process developed by SinoVeda can also be applied to other natural or herbal manufacturers who want to take a scientific approach to ensuring the quality of their products.

“With our technology, and access to grown-in-Alberta materials, we can make Alberta a one stop shop for developing, refining and producing standardized herbal medicine.”

Although AVAC was quick to see the potential in Dr. Tam’s process, they still “asked a lot of challenging questions. And if they identify any deficiencies they have connections to link you to people who can help.” Most importantly, AVAC’s investment tells other potential funders that the company is a good bet. “AVAC’s involvement helps in the process of finding other investments and that will help us grow.”