Natures Medicines: Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Management. Case Studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA

Abstract

With the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases and development of multi-drug resistance, there is a dire need to find newer cures and to produce more drugs and vaccines in the pipeline. To meet these increasing demands biomedical researchers and pharmaceutical companies are combining advanced methods of drug discovery, such as combinatorial chemistry, highthroughput screening and genomics, with conventional approaches using natural products and traditional knowledge. However, such approaches require much international cooperation and understanding of international laws and conventions as well as local customs and traditions. This article reviews the forty years of cumulative experience at the National Institutes of Health (initiated by the National Cancer Institute) in natural products drug discovery. It presents (1) three major cooperative programs (2) the legal mechanisms for cooperation and (3) illustrative case studies from these programs. We hope that these discussions and our lessons learned would be helpful to others seeking to develop their own models of cooperation for the benefit of global health.

Comparative Proximate Composition and Hypoglycemic Properties of Three Medicinal Plants (Verononia amygdalina, Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera).

“…[36] Other nutritive compounds and phytochemicals which have been implicated in possessing hypoglycemic properties include terpenoids, phenolics, amino acids and related nitrogenous compounds. [37][38][39][40] The hypoglycemic properties of these compounds have been evaluated and demonstrated in animal models [41,42] as well as in humans. [43] For instance, the amino acid derivative, S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide and S-alkyl cysteine sulphoxide content in Allium cepa (Onion), [44] Allium sativum (Garlic) [45] stimulates insulin secretion, whereas Charantin (a peptide) [46] inhibits hepatic glycogenolysis.…”

Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants and Their Importance in Drug Discovery in Pakistan

“…A continuous increase in the failure of antibiotic resistance and chemotherapeutics exhibited by the pathogenic microbial infectious agents has enhanced the importance of medicinal plants and they have been screening out for their potential antimicrobial activity [44]. Scientists began to isolate, purify and identify active constituents (principles) from medicinal plant extracts during the late nineteenth century and these efforts led them to find some of the vital drugs from medicinal plants which are still broadly used in the field of modern medicine [45].…”

“…Guanidine-type of alkaloid, galegine in G. officinalis has blood glucose lowering property and because the alkaloid was found to be very toxic for human use therefore, a number of structural analogs of this alkaloid were made and tested clinically. These efforts resulted in the development and marketing of metformin which is an effective antidiabetic drug [45].…”

L’éthique et l’acceptation sociale des innovations technologiques

“…Les cadres culturels peuvent être tout à fait divergents et le défi pour réussir à faire le pont se fait par la traduction des concepts occidentaux tels que l'autonomie, la dignité humaine et le consentement libre et éclairé. Ce sont des idéologies qui peuvent être quelque peu abstraites, surtout lorsqu'il n'y a pas d'équi-valent linguistique dans le vocabulaire des populations étrangères à ces notions [27].…”