Tasly Pharmaceuticals Selects ICON as it Seeks First FDA Approval of a Traditional Chinese Medicine

ICON plc, (NASDAQ: ICLR; ISIN:IE0005711209), a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced that it has been selected by Tasly Pharmaceuticals ( 600535, SH)for the company’s global Phase III T89 trial. T89, also known as Dantonic® pill, aims to become the first traditional Chinese medicine to receive FDA approval in the United States.

Dantonic® pill is a botanical product for the treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease. It is a modernised version of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and was approved by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China in 1993. Since then, more than 2 billion doses have been used by over 10 million patients.

Tasly Pharmaceuticals Inc., the fully-owned subsidiary of China based Tasly Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., a public company, is conducting two global Phase III trials for the Dantonic® pill. Icon has been awarded the 3-arm Phase III clinical trial and will also be providing IVRS, data management and central laboratory services for both global trials.

"Dantonic® pill global Phase III studies are pioneering projects. There are a number of innovative components in the R&D of this drug,” commented Dr. Henry Sun, President of Tasly Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Vice President of Tasly Group. "When choosing a CRO for these important Phase III trials we sought a company that had a large global infrastructure supported by the most advanced regional testing facilities. In ICON we have found a trusted development partner with all of these attributes and one that also has a strong reputation for delivering quality clinical programs.”

"ICON is proud to play an important role in helping advance the globalisation of traditional Chinese medicine,” commented Dr. Malcolm Burgess, Executive Vice President, ICON Clinical Research. "Through our experience of managing studies in all major geographies, we have established solid working relationships with the world’s leading investigators and our regional testing facilities are strategically located to support global trials. We look forward to working with Tasly and to helping them in their efforts to become the first provider of an FDA-approved traditional Chinese medicine.”

About Tasly pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.
Tasly pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., based in Tianjin, China, was founded in May 1994. Through its development, Tasly has become a high-tech group whose scope of businesses includes modern TCMs, chemical & biological drugs, healthcare products and functional foods. The Company has a large research institute and oversees its own product development, planting, manufacturing, commercial sales and distribution. Tasly manufactures and sells its traditional Chinese medicines, generic drugs, vaccines and personal care products in China and in several other countries around the world. Tasly entered a drug-wholesaling venture with the UK’s Co-operative Group in 2007. For more information about the Company, please visit www.tasly.com.

About ICON plc
ICON plc is a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The Company specialises in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. ICON currently has around 8,300 employees, operating from 79 locations in 38 countries.

Further information is available at www.iconplc.com