Company and industry sources identify Yi shi yuan as a Singapore TCM and pharmaceutical manufacturer. Public data from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) also lists YI SHI YUAN PTE LTD as a manufacturer associated with licensed Chinese proprietary medicine products 2.

Foundation

Yi shi yuan was founded in 1983 by Mr Teo Hong Boo, a TCM practitioner. According to the company’s account, Teo Hong Boo’s interest in medicine was influenced by the early death of his mother from breast cancer, leading him to devote himself to studying medicine and TCM 1.

The company’s early pharmaceutical activities developed from a small family operation. Teo Hong Boo and his wife initially operated a home-based massage business, where he encountered patients who encouraged him to apply his TCM knowledge more directly to healthcare. His subsequent experimentation led to the development of Yi shi yuan’s first major proprietary formulation, 900 KYB Plus Essence, formerly known as Kang Yan Bao (康炎宝) 1.

Early manufacturing

In its early years, production was conducted on a small scale, with processes such as brewing and packaging performed manually. Growing demand eventually required Yi shi yuan to expand its production facilities 1.

In 1991, Teo Hong Boo rented a small factory in Jurong. The facility served both as a manufacturing site and as a location for his clinic, forming the base from which the company expanded its product development and manufacturing activities 1.

Development of GMP manufacturing

During the late 1990s, Singapore introduced tighter requirements surrounding pharmaceutical manufacturing and GMP. According to Yi shi yuan’s historical account, the company had to relocate and substantially upgrade its manufacturing operations to meet these new standards.

The company describes this period as a major turning point. It developed formal procedures covering production, raw materials, packaging, storage and delivery, eventually obtaining GMP certification. Yi shi yuan describes itself as the first certified and approved pharmaceutical/TCM factory of its kind in Singapore, although this designation is primarily a company-reported historical claim 1. The company states that it has maintained GMP certification since 2005 1.

Expansion to Bukit Batok

Around 2000, Yi shi yuan expanded again and acquired a pharmaceutical factory in Bukit Batok, which became the company’s manufacturing base. The present registered address remains at 20 Bukit Batok Crescent, Enterprise Centre 1. The company continued developing both its own products and contract-manufacturing capabilities.

Competition and restructuring

During the early 2000s, Yi shi yuan faced strong competition from lower-priced imported medicine mixtures. The company maintained its policy of manufacturing its products in Singapore and sourcing locally where possible, resulting in comparatively higher production costs 1.

Despite this, the company continued operating and later expanded its manufacturing and OEM business. Its historical account states that regulatory changes introduced in 2007 helped improve the competitive environment for local manufacturers 1.

Yi shi yuan’s operations are broadly divided into four areas.

Proprietary TCM and healthcare products

The company develops and sells its own range of Chinese proprietary medicines and healthcare products. Its current catalogue covers products associated with respiratory and lung health, digestive health, liver health, kidney and urinary health, cardiovascular health, immunity, energy and vitality, women’s health, men’s health, joint and bone health, sleep, hair and skin, weight management and cholesterol support 1.

Examples include 900 KYB Plus Essence, Pure Lingzhi Cracked Spores, Pao Shen Tian Qi, Pao Shen Chong Cao, Nose Ease, Cold Remedy, Lung Care and various other proprietary TCM and health products 1.

Contract and OEM manufacturing

A significant part of Yi shi yuan’s business involves manufacturing products for other companies. Services include product formulation, raw-material procurement, manufacturing, product registration assistance, packaging and label design, analytical testing and after-sales support 1.

It manufactures products in different dosage forms, including capsules, powders, liquids, tonics and teabags 1. Consequently, Yi shi yuan operates as a B2B pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturer, producing goods that may be marketed under other companies’ brands.

A central part of Yi shi yuan’s corporate identity is its emphasis on local manufacturing and GMP standards. The company states that its own products are 100% made in Singapore and that it has been officially GMP-certified since 2005 1.

The Medicine Manufacturing Association of Singapore describes Yi shi yuan’s business as GMP contract manufacturing for TCM and health-supplement products, including capsules, liquids, teabags, medicated preparations, powders and granules 2. Furthermore, the HSA public dataset for licensed Chinese proprietary medicine products lists Yi shi yuan as a manufacturer, providing independent government-source evidence of its participation in Singapore’s regulated manufacturing ecosystem.

One of the products most closely associated with Yi shi yuan is 900 KYB Plus Essence (康源宝), formerly known as Kang Yan Bao. According to company history, the formulation was developed by founder Teo Hong Boo and became the company’s first major proprietary product. Early production was carried out manually before increasing demand contributed to the establishment of a dedicated manufacturing facility 1. The product remains part of Yi shi yuan’s current range and is sold in several package sizes 1.

Yi shi yuan’s present catalogue demonstrates expansion beyond its original proprietary formulations. Product categories include:

• Traditional Chinese medicines: Chinese proprietary medicines, herbal formulations, herbal powders, capsules and liquid preparations.
• Health supplements: Herbal supplements, nutritional products, wellness products and specialty formulations.
• Functional health products: Respiratory support, digestive support, liver and kidney products, cardiovascular products, immunity products, and women’s and men’s health products.

The company’s online shop lists approximately 60 products, although the catalogue changes as items are introduced or discontinued 1.

In addition to manufacturing and wholesale distribution, Yi shi yuan operates a consumer retail presence. Its official website lists a Yi shi yuan retail store at Chinatown Point, located at #02-27, 133 New Bridge Road, Singapore 059413. The store sells the company’s OTC products and Traditional Chinese Medicine supplements 1.

The company also distributes products through TCM clinics, herbal stores and other healthcare-related channels. Yi shi yuan states that it supplies products to more than 100 TCM clinics, herbal stores, charitable organisations and TCM hospitals in Singapore 1.

Yi shi yuan has historically been a family-operated business. Founder Teo Hong Boo built the company from a small TCM operation into a manufacturing business, with his wife and children involved in early development according to company history 1.

Leadership subsequently passed to his youngest son, Teo Choon Kiat. The company states that Teo Choon Kiat studied at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and continued to practise TCM while overseeing the company 1. He is also listed as the President of the Medicine Manufacturing Association of Singapore, with Yi shi yuan identified as his company 2.

Yi shi yuan occupies a distinct position within Singapore’s TCM industry by combining multiple functions: TCM practitioner heritage, proprietary medicine development, regulated manufacturing, OEM manufacturing, wholesale distribution and consumer retail. This structure makes the company both a brand owner and a manufacturer for third-party brands.

The company states that other established brands have appointed it to manufacture their products and that it has produced more than 400 types of medicines over its history 1. The Medicine Manufacturing Association of Singapore independently lists Yi shi yuan as a GMP contract manufacturer for TCM and health supplements 2.

Although strongly associated with Singapore, Yi shi yuan has pursued overseas collaborations and markets. Corporate history describes the company as having developed overseas collaborative projects and seeking to make Singapore-manufactured TCM products available internationally 1. Its overseas positioning centres heavily on its Singapore manufacturing origin rather than presenting itself simply as a traditional retailer.

Several themes consistently appear in Yi shi yuan’s corporate positioning:

• Singapore manufacturing: The company emphasises its identity as a Singapore-made TCM manufacturer, repeatedly stating on its website that products are made locally 1.
• TCM heritage: The business originated from TCM practice and retains a connection between clinical practice and product development.
• Manufacturing expertise: Rather than operating only as a retail brand, Yi shi yuan highlights pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, GMP processes, formulation expertise and OEM services.
• Family heritage: Company history is closely associated with founder Teo Hong Boo and subsequent family involvement.
• Quality and regulation: GMP manufacturing and compliance with Singapore’s regulatory environment form a major part of the company’s differentiation.

Yi shi yuan describes its philosophy as “producing medicine with conscience”, reflecting an emphasis on quality, manufacturing standards and healthcare rather than purely commercial considerations. The company presents its long-term objective as becoming a reputable, high-quality Chinese medicine manufacturer based in Singapore 1.

Established in 1983, Yi shi yuan has operated in Singapore’s TCM and healthcare-manufacturing sector for more than four decades. It has developed from a small family-run operation into a manufacturer with proprietary products, contract-manufacturing capabilities and a distribution network 1.

Its presence in the HSA licensed Chinese proprietary medicine ecosystem and its representation in industry organisations establish it as a participant in the country’s TCM manufacturing sector.

As of 2026, Yi shi yuan is a Singapore-based TCM and healthcare-product manufacturer with a vertically integrated business model. Activities span TCM research and development, Chinese proprietary medicine manufacturing, health-supplement manufacturing, GMP contract/OEM manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail, product formulation, product registration support and international collaboration 1. The company continues to market its own range of TCM and health products while providing manufacturing services to other businesses.

Yi shi yuan Pte Ltd
20 Bukit Batok Crescent
Enterprise Centre #13-11/12/13
Singapore 658080

Telephone: +65 6567 0900
Official website: ysy.com.sg 1

Note: Some historical statements, particularly claims regarding being Singapore’s “first” TCM manufacturer or details concerning the origin and effectiveness of particular formulations, are derived from Yi shi yuan’s own corporate history. These should be understood as company-reported history rather than independently established facts. TCM and health-product claims should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of clinically proven efficacy.

1. Traditional Chinese Medicine -TCM Products,Health Supplement singapore
2. Yi Shi Yuan Pte Ltd :: 忆思源私人有限公司 | Welcome to Medicine Manufacturing Association of Singapore