A family business that began in 1936 distributing roundworm medicine, Chung Mei is one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in Taiwan, now led by the third-generation chairman Ben Yuan Lin.

As the eldest son, Lin was tasked by his father, Cang Zhou Lin, to get involved with the company as early as high school. Over the years with Ben Yuan Lin at the helm, the company has modernized and moved in step with international standards. Though its best-selling over-the-counter products are laxatives and weight-loss products, the company also produces health and nutritional supplements, after Lin’s personal practice of taking as little medicine as possible.

Chung Mei Biotech was formed in 2014, a division focused on developing plant-derived drugs. It has now entered the lucrative global biotech market after being authorized to develop a treatment for advanced melanoma based on the common herb known as fireweed.