Tasly’s U.S. Drug Push Falters as Partner Ends Development Deal
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Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, used to treat chronic stable angina, have followed a long and costly path toward U.S. validation. Photo: VCG
A Chinese drugmaker’s long-running push to bring the country’s first compound traditional medicine to the U.S. market has hit a major setback after its American partner ended their collaboration.
Tasly Holding Group Co. Ltd. said on Feb. 7 that its collaboration with Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC on its flagship heart-disease treatment, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, had ended. According to Tasly’s filing, the termination followed Arbor’s acquisition by Azurity Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 2021 and subsequent adjustments to its business strategy. Tasly said it received a total of $7.5 million from the partnership.
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- Tasly’s partnership with Arbor Pharmaceuticals to bring Compound Danshen Dripping Pills to the U.S. ended, following Arbor’s acquisition by Azurity and a shift in strategy.
- FDA approval efforts have stalled; a key clinical trial (ORESA) now expects results by December 2027, with no data released yet.
- Tasly sold 154 million boxes in China in 2024 but saw 2025 revenues drop 3.1% and net profit fall 24.1%; China’s TCM product exports declined 5.6% in early 2025.
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Who’s Who
- Tasly Holding Group Co. Ltd.
- Tasly Holding Group Co. Ltd. is a Chinese drugmaker that focused on traditional Chinese medicine, particularly Compound Danshen Dripping Pills for heart disease. Their efforts to introduce this drug to the U.S. market faced a setback when their collaboration with American partner Arbor Pharmaceuticals ended. Tasly had invested significantly in FDA approval processes since 1997.
- Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC
- Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC was the American partner of Tasly Holding Group Co. Ltd. for the development of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills. Arbor had committed up to $23 million in research funding and secured exclusive U.S. sales rights. However, the collaboration ended after Arbor's acquisition by Azurity Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 2021, and its subsequent business strategy adjustments.
- Azurity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Azurity Pharmaceuticals Inc. acquired Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC in 2021. This acquisition led to a reassessment of Arbor's business strategy, ultimately resulting in the termination of Arbor's collaboration with Tasly Holding Group Co. Ltd. on the heart-disease treatment, Compound Danshen Dripping Pills.
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What Happened When
- 1995：
- Compound Danshen Dripping Pills launched in China.
- December 1997：
- Compound Danshen Dripping Pills received Investigational New Drug application approval from the FDA.
- 2010：
- Phase II trial for Compound Danshen Dripping Pills concluded; trial took 13 years.
- 2016：
- Tasly announced completion of a Phase III study for Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, but the results failed to meet required statistical endpoints.
- 2018：
- Tasly and Arbor Pharmaceuticals launched their partnership to carry the drug through a pivotal late-stage clinical trial required for FDA approval.
- 2021：
- Arbor Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Azurity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- First half of 2025：
- China's exports of traditional Chinese medicine products fell 5.6% from a year earlier to $2.5 billion.
- 2025：
- Tasly reported revenue of 8.2 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), down 3.1% year on year, and net profit of 787 million yuan, down 24.1%.
- 2026：
- Tasly sold 154 million boxes of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, up 9.2% from previous year.
- February 7, 2026：
- Tasly announced termination of its collaboration with Arbor Pharmaceuticals on Compound Danshen Dripping Pills.
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