Merck to exploit TCM herbal compounds as prescription drugs

[Guest guest]

(NewsTarget) German pharmaceutical giant Merck announced last week that it would

collaborate with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to develop new cancer drugs

based on traditional Chinese herbs and botanical medicines.

 

Hong Kong-based Chi-Med -- a pharmaceutical firm that develops consumer health

products from natural ingredients used in Traditional (TCM) --

said it will team with Merck to find potential cancer drugs among roughly 10,000

herbal TCM compounds. However, critics say the partnership will only serve to

allow Merck to generate more profits from " pirated " natural plant chemicals sold

as expensive pharmaceuticals. Consumer health advocate Mike Adams, author

of " Take Back Your Health Power, " said Merck's partnership with Chi-Med would

result in the company locating, copying and patenting chemicals found in Chinese

herbs, then selling them as prescription drugs. " When Chinese firms steal

intellectual property from the United States, we call it piracy, but when drug

companies acquire medical know-how from Chinese medicine, it's called research, "

Adams said. " But let's be clear here -- I don't believe Merck is about to start

promoting Chinese herbal cures

for anything. " Merck is most likely looking for molecules it can identify,

modify and patent as pharmaceuticals, " he said. " If it finds anything that

works, the medicines will likely be sold as Western drugs, not Chinese medicine,

and the FDA will continue its assault on herbal medicine even as it approves

drugs based on herbal medicine. " Ulrich Betz, head of strategic innovation

and research portfolio management at Merck, said the company is eager to begin a

" productive collaboration " with Chi-Med. " It will allow us to extend our

interaction with the emerging Chinese pharmaceutical industry that builds on

longstanding tradition and knowledge combined with modern scientific

technology, " he said. Merck's collaboration is one of many attempts by

Western pharmaceutical companies to increase their presence in China. Swiss drug

firm Novartis recently announced plans to open a $100 million Western research

and development facility in Shanghai. However, Adams

says rich Western pharmaceutical companies will take advantage of the

generosity and cost-effectiveness of TCM therapies. " In my opinion, this

[collaboration] is nothing more than greedy corporations exploiting the

generous, open-source nature of Chinese medicine, " Adams said. " It is the

Western world's piracy of Eastern wisdom, and it is only being done because drug

companies have realized that Western-developed medicines are far more dangerous,

and don't work nearly as well as Chinese medicine. "