Merck to pirate Traditional Chinese Medicine compounds to develop new drug

[Guest guest]

This is not priracy since there is no intellectual property in terms

of Chinese medicinal functions, indications, and usage. All this stuff

is in the public domain. Further, Merck is undoubtedly looking for the

" active ingredient " which they can make into a fractional extract and

patent. For instance, icariin from Epimedium.

 

Bob

[Guest guest]

In addition, chinese research has not found herbs to be an effective way to

treat cancer. It is used primarily as a supportive therapy. It is likely that

any substances they identify would have to be isolated and concentrated, not to

mention delivered using some high tech method, in order to be effective.

Pirating is a completely inaccurate way to describe this process, and it

reflects poorly on the alternative medicine field when deluded folks like this

Adams guy are quoted on behalf of TCM. BTW, I am sure the bulk of money being

spent in China sudying TCM is for the exact same purpose—extracting active

ingredients in order to make drugs.

 

 

-------------- Original message ----------------------

" Bob Flaws " <pemachophel2001

> This is not priracy since there is no intellectual property in terms

> of Chinese medicinal functions, indications, and usage. All this stuff

> is in the public domain. Further, Merck is undoubtedly looking for the

> " active ingredient " which they can make into a fractional extract and

> patent. For instance, icariin from Epimedium.

>

> Bob

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Can you share some of that research, Todd? It seems like quite a

sweeping statement. While this may be the 'politically correct'

approach, I've seen texts by TCM oncologists who claim that herbal

medicine can be more than supportive therapy. This will depend on

the type of cancer, the stage, pattern, etc. One study I read years

ago said that herbal medicine was more affective than chemotherapy in

a breast cancer study in terms of five year survival rates, for

whatever that is worth. We should also note that recent studies

show that chemotherapy is much less effective than recently thought

for breast cancer when compared with simple lumpectomies.

 

I also want to point out that in India, legislation is pending to

protect the medicinals of Ayurvedic medicine from unfair exploitation

by pharmaceutical companies. While not technically pirating, there

is a medical legacy in countries such as China and India that may

need to be protected by legal means.

 

 

On Dec 18, 2006, at 10:23 AM, wrote:

 

> In addition, chinese research has not found herbs to be an

> effective way to treat cancer. It is used primarily as a supportive

> therapy. It is likely that any substances they identify would have

> to be isolated and concentrated, not to mention delivered using

> some high tech method, in order to be effective. Pirating is a

> completely inaccurate way to describe this process, and it reflects

> poorly on the alternative medicine field when deluded folks like this

> Adams guy are quoted on behalf of TCM. BTW, I am sure the bulk of

> money being spent in China sudying TCM is for the exact same purpose

> —extracting active ingredients in order to make drugs.

>

>

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

> " Bob Flaws " <pemachophel2001

>> This is not priracy since there is no intellectual property in terms

>> of Chinese medicinal functions, indications, and usage. All this

>> stuff

>> is in the public domain. Further, Merck is undoubtedly looking for

>> the

>> " active ingredient " which they can make into a fractional extract and

>> patent. For instance, icariin from Epimedium.

>>

>> Bob

>>

>>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I don't really understand what any buzz is about on this, this is SOP for

any pharmaceutical research, you parse a bunch of organic stuff reverse

engineer a bit and , you have a " new " drug. Up until about thirty years

ago almost all drugs were either extracted from or imitations of things

found in plants or peeps. Now they have much more ability to synthesize

novel molecules and make variations on older themes. While mercenary science

doesn't always lead to good things I believe that big pharma supports a fair

amount of ethnobotany and ecological conservation for the purposes of

maintaining a pool of novel molecules to dip into (granted, they would

probably pave the Amazon if they thought they could make a buck).

 

Par Scott, MAOM, Lic Ac

19 Belmont St

Cambridge MA 02138

617 499 2957

 

 

-

<

 

Monday, December 18, 2006 1:23 PM

Re: Re: Merck to " pirate " Traditional

compounds to develop new drug

 

 

In addition, chinese research has not found herbs to be an effective way to

treat cancer. It is used primarily as a supportive therapy. It is likely

that any substances they identify would have to be isolated and

concentrated, not to mention delivered using some high tech method, in order

to be effective. Pirating is a completely inaccurate way to describe this

process, and it reflects poorly on the alternative medicine field when

deluded folks like this

Adams guy are quoted on behalf of TCM. BTW, I am sure the bulk of money

being spent in China sudying TCM is for the exact same purposeâ? " extracting

active ingredients in order to make drugs.

 

 

-------------- Original message ----------------------

" Bob Flaws " <pemachophel2001

> This is not priracy since there is no intellectual property in terms

> of Chinese medicinal functions, indications, and usage. All this stuff

> is in the public domain. Further, Merck is undoubtedly looking for the

> " active ingredient " which they can make into a fractional extract and

> patent. For instance, icariin from Epimedium.

>

> Bob

>

>