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Rudraksham, patents,and drugs

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I have observed, via Net research, that there has been a lot of recent

interest from American, European, and Australian pharmaceutical

companies in one particular component of rudraksham. I keep seing

seminar announcements, but no documentation of proccedings (of course

<g>). Also, references to experiments are posted, but not the

experiments.

 

I am also seeing a lot of stuff re: enhanced conservation efforts

toward various elaeocarpacaea varieties, in various parts of the

world.

 

I'm wondering if the two are connected?

 

In any case, attention by major pharmaceutical companies might turn

out to be GOOD news, because it would focus interest on the beads, and

might possibly benefit the bead industries. Since the drug companies

are experimenting with synthetic derivatives, the drug companies

wouldn't be depleting the supply. It would also focus attention on the

Asian medicinal arts

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Kari wrote:

"...I am also seeing a lot of stuff re: enhanced conservation

efforts

toward various elaeocarpacaea varieties, in various parts of the

world.

 

I'm wondering if the two are connected?..."

 

Could you be more specific? Where are you "seeing" these reports on

conservation efforts? I was under the impression that overharvesting

was more the norm.

 

"...In any case, attention by major pharmaceutical companies might

turn

out to be GOOD news, because it would focus interest on the beads,

and might possibly benefit the bead industries. Since the drug

companies are experimenting with synthetic derivatives, the drug

companies wouldn't be depleting the supply. It would also focus

attention on the Asian medicinal arts."

 

It sure will be good news for the multinationals. However if people

start paying more attention to the asian medicinal arts(i like that

phrase:-))pharmazillas might go broke. I just hope your statement

that they will be experimenting with synthetic derivatives is true.

Time will tell.

Suraj

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The impact of World Trade Organisation (WTO) and intellectual

property rights (IPR) on traditional systems of medicine and the

unregulated exploitation of medicinal plants was brought up last

year in the world media (see a few links below for details), but

what has happened since last year, does anyone know?

 

http://news.indiainfo.com/2002/10/31/31ayurveda.html

http://www.ayurvedahc.com/Library/AyurvedaCopyright.htm

http://www.vshiva.net/archives/biopiracy/protect_biodiversity.htm

 

Love, Ole

 

 

, "karisprowl"

<karisprowl@e...> wrote:

> I have observed, via Net research, that there has been a lot of

recent

> interest from American, European, and Australian pharmaceutical

> companies in one particular component of rudraksham. I keep seing

> seminar announcements, but no documentation of proccedings (of

course

> <g>). Also, references to experiments are posted, but not the

> experiments.

>

> I am also seeing a lot of stuff re: enhanced conservation efforts

> toward various elaeocarpacaea varieties, in various parts of the

> world.

>

> I'm wondering if the two are connected?

>

> In any case, attention by major pharmaceutical companies might

turn

> out to be GOOD news, because it would focus interest on the beads,

and

> might possibly benefit the bead industries. Since the drug

companies

> are experimenting with synthetic derivatives, the drug companies

> wouldn't be depleting the supply. It would also focus attention on

the

> Asian medicinal arts

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Ole:

I haven't kept up with it but there was an initiative in India to set

up the Traditional Knowledge Digital Initiative(you might look for

more info on the web or some specialised databases) for classical

Ayurvedic and Siddha formulations to prevent abuse by big

corporations. I believe in TCM, there are patents on classical

formulations but since it is too expensive for developing countries

and too time consuming to file for patents( Ayurveda alone has over

35,000 classical formulations)in India the folks have decided to make

the knowledge public, sort of like open source software. I'd like to

keep up on the developments myself. Thanks for giving me a project

for the coming weeks:-)

Happy Diwali

Suraj

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I found a lot of conservation references, accidentally, when I was

trying to research ethnomedical and ethnobotanical applications of

elaeocarpacaea. Yes, overharvesting HAS been the norm, but apparantly

that has come to some folks' attention in a few countries (Australia,

for one-- with the quadongs). I don't know what the impetus is, but

there are conservation efforts, and in several countries. I dis not

save the references, unfortunatley, because my focus was on other

things.

 

I also learned that experimentation has been on a synthetic derivative

(I don't remember the name of the chemical) of rudraksham from reading

the experimental references, what few absracts there are, and the

seminar programs.

 

Agree with you re: your opinion on corporate greed. However, if a

plant could be patented, one would think that the heart med plants

would be first choice-- at least in the U.S. Or, maybe ephedra-- one

of the top moneymaking pharmaceuticals in the U.S. is Claritin, an

allergy medication. Moreover, if one can isolate and synthesize a

chemical, like the one in the humble periwinkle, that destroys cancer

cells, one doesn't need the plant, itself. There is no valerian in

Valium. <g>

 

K.

 

 

 

, "surajraghavan2002"

<suraj_raghavan@h...> wrote:

> Kari wrote:

> "...I am also seeing a lot of stuff re: enhanced conservation

> efforts

> toward various elaeocarpacaea varieties, in various parts of the

> world.

>

> I'm wondering if the two are connected?..."

>

> Could you be more specific? Where are you "seeing" these reports on

> conservation efforts? I was under the impression that overharvesting

> was more the norm.

>

> "...In any case, attention by major pharmaceutical companies might

> turn

> out to be GOOD news, because it would focus interest on the beads,

> and might possibly benefit the bead industries. Since the drug

> companies are experimenting with synthetic derivatives, the drug

> companies wouldn't be depleting the supply. It would also focus

> attention on the Asian medicinal arts."

>

> It sure will be good news for the multinationals. However if people

> start paying more attention to the asian medicinal arts(i like that

> phrase:-))pharmazillas might go broke. I just hope your statement

> that they will be experimenting with synthetic derivatives is true.

> Time

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