TEHRAN – The headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs and the Pharmaceutical Technology Incubator Center affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen the innovation, research, and commercialization chain, support knowledge-based companies, and develop technological infrastructure.

The MOU was signed by Mahmoud Biglar as chief manager of the Pharmaceutical Technology Incubator Center affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and Hossein Rezaeizadeh, the head of the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs.

The collaboration can serve as a platform for establishing and supporting knowledge-based companies in the natural products sector, foster the development of innovative products, and strengthen the link between the synthetic and natural pharmaceutical sectors in response to the country’s health needs, IRNA quoted Biglar as saying.

For his part, Rezaeizadeh said an innovation center for traditional, herbal, and natural products will be established in collaboration with the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and relevant faculties.

The center will include a laboratory and a pilot plant infrastructure for producing prototypes of plant-based products, including syrup and capsule production lines.

Based on the MOU, Tehran University of Medical Sciences will be responsible for providing the superstructure and the technical and operational infrastructure, while the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs is responsible for supporting the equipment and the inauguration of the center.

The design and implementation of this innovation center— including a fab lab and a pilot plant—are scheduled for the next six months; the center is intended to function as a hub for students, researchers, and knowledge-based companies to facilitate education, technology development, and product commercialization.

The collaboration will be an effective step toward developing the knowledge-based economy and advancing the country’s health-oriented technologies in traditional pharmacy through establishing a joint specialized working group, implementing technological projects, and strengthening skill-based training.

Promoting herbal medicine using nanotechnology

The headquarters for developing nanotechnology and microtechnology and the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs held a meeting on January 13 aimed at using nanotechnology for promoting herbal medicine.

Damoun Razmjouei, the secretary of the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs, and Emad Ahmadvand, the secretary of the headquarters for developing nanotechnology and microtechnology, attended the meeting, IRNA reported.

The two sides discussed ways to use the capacity of nanotechnology in manufacturing standardized products, increasing the efficiency of products, and developing knowledge-based products, especially herbal medicine.

Over the past Iranian year (March 2024 –March 2025), a total of 1,735 nanotechnology products received nanoscale certificates from the Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council and were commercialized by 201 companies.

The total sale of these products amounted to 973 trillion rials (some 700 million dollars) in the Iranian year 1403, indicating a 57 percent increase compared to a year earlier, and 72 percent in comparison to 200 trillion rials (some 140 million dollars) in the past four years. This growth is about 31 percent higher than the country’s average annual inflation rate.

The export of these nano-products constitutes 10 percent of the sales, about 183 million dollars.

The sales value of domestically-manufactured nano-tech products over the past year is estimated to be around 1.8 million dollars based on the average daily dollar exchange rate.

The three main industrial sectors, including transportation, civil engineering, and nanomaterials, had the highest share of the market, respectively.

More than a quarter of the country’s secondary market for nanotechnology products is related to the automotive and transportation sectors.

Global status in traditional medicine

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Iran ranks third in traditional medicine trials in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), highlighting the country’s status as one of the world's pioneers in traditional and complementary medicine.

China and India rank first and second, respectively, the health ministry’s website reported.

The share of clinical trials in traditional and complementary medicine in Iran makes up about three percent of all clinical trials registered in the country, while just about 0.3 percent of the healthcare staff are experts in traditional and complementary medicine. The report shows the high capacity of Iranian researchers to move towards evidence-based medicine.

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

It is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra’), and black bile (Sauda’). The concept of the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species, which is more than the whole number of species found in Europe.

Around 500 Persian medicine experts are providing health and medical treatment services across the country.

More than 1,000 general practitioners who have passed the Persian medicine courses approved by the health ministry are also offering services.

Currently, nine faculties of Persian medicine enroll students in the country’s universities.

Training Persian medicine experts has always been at the top of the Persian medicine office’s agenda. Therefore, different skill courses have been developed and held under the supervision of the health ministry.

During the closing ceremony of the second World Health Organization (WHO) Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, Iran pledged commitments to advance the implementation of the Global Strategy for Traditional Medicine 2025-2034.

Co-organized by the WHO and the Government of India, the second global Summit on Traditional Medicine was held from December 17 to 19, 2025, in New Delhi, under the theme ‘Restoring Balance: The science and practice of health and well-being’.

The head of the health ministry’s traditional medicine office, Hossein Rezaeizadeh, the advisor to the health ministry’s traditional medicine office, Arman Zargaran, and the ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, attended the event.

Iran’s five commitments include launching a WHO collaborating center, launching a national platform for clinical trials, strengthening research and evidence, publishing in reputable journals, compiling five standard operating procedures (SOPs) for specialized Persian procedures, and integrating traditional medicine into the health system, the health ministry's website reported.

During the ceremony, 26 other member states and 60 non-governmental centers, approved by the WHO, announced their commitments.

MT/MG