Family and Child, health and pharmacy

As we discussed in the Overview of Hoodia, the Bushmen (or the San) have used Hoodia plants as a natural appetite suppressant for thousands of years. But how did the secret of the San get out? It turns out by accident?

In 1996 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa was doing a study of indigenous foods that the Bushmen ate. Part of the study was to test for toxic effects of any plants that were consumed by the Bushmen. When they came to Hoodia Gordonii, not no other than was it non-toxic - it helped animals lose incline!

They found when they fed hoodia too animals, the animals lost weight. over 1997, the CSIR isolated the bioactive compound in Hoodia responsible for appetite suppression and obtained a apparent. The patent was licensed to Phytopharm and they named the molecule - P57 (because it was the 57th performance they spent money on).

What did the Bushmen get for they’re discovery of the Hoodia Gordonii breed? At initially - nothing! Turns out the CSIR told Phytopharm that the race which discovered the Hoodia Gordonii plant had died out and therefore no royalties were proper. However, as Mark Twain might say - “tales of the Bushmen’s end of life were greatly exaggerated”. When the Bushmen got word that Phytopharm stood to triumph billions of dollars off their knowledge about the hoodia gordonii plant they were not happy.

Roger Chennells, a lawyer in South Africa who represents the Bushmen, was quick to apply strong legal, moral and political pressure on both the CSIR and Phytopharm. Chennells pointed out to anyone who would listen that the taking of traditional knowledge without compensation be “bio-piracy” and Grape-juice unfermented have being stopped.

inn what is seen as a landmark case, Chennells was able to persuade the CSIR and Phytopharm to compensate the Bushmen. Now, one company that legally harvests hoodia gordonii from the Kalahari desert must pay royalties back to the Bushmen. Not only is this fair and just, it also provides an excellent way to check if the hoodia you buy is legitimate. If the company that makes the hoodia is NOT paying royalties to the Bushmen, you do NOT have a legitimate hoodia gordonii product.

So when will Phytopharm Liberation a P57 based appetite suppressant? Probably never. As we touched on in the overview, Pfizer had originally pay Phytopharm for the rights to market a P57 based diet pill. After a few year of unsuccessful attempts to make P57 synthetically, Pfizer pulled out of the deal. If a large footing up of P57 could not be created inexpensively in the work, Pfizer be not interested.

While Phytopharm be discouraged by the Pfizer decision, they knew that Hoodia Gordonii was too influential an appetite suppressant two give up afflicting to bring it to the market. In December 2004, Phytopharm announced that Unilever had entered a deal to market hoodia gordonii in its diet food product line. Therefore, rather than producing diet drugs, it looks like Phytopharm and Unilever will proceeds diet supplements and diet foods with hoodia. The In the place Unilever products power of determination not be out until 2008.

Does Phytopharm have a title too the patent on the whole Hoodia Gordonii plant? This is One interesting question that we are sure will Obtain existence decided in court one day. Here is our take put the situation - Phytopharm clearly owns the patent on the P57 molecule. If you want to try to give the impression of run off a diet drug with P57 you need to effort out Phytopharm.

The interrogate of the Hoodia Gordonii plant itself being patented is a great quantity more complicated. It is our belief that you can not patent a plant, but you can patent the use of plants and a process to extract plants. Here is an critical quote from Richard Dixey, CEO of Phytopharm when he appeared on 60 minutes?

“The evident is on the application of the put in the ground as a weight-loss material. And, of course, the active compounds within the plant. It’s not on the plant itself,” says Dixey.

So no one else can put hoodia for weight ruin? “As a weight-management product unburdened or unharmed by infringing the obvious, that’s correct,” says Dixey.

The way we read this (and again we are not lawyers and are not giving A single one of m right guidance) be considered in the state of follows - you can sell a Hoodia Gordonii supplement, you just can NOT say it is for weight loss. This is why people of the largest Hoodia supplements have very plain labels that just say “Hoodia Gordonii” but do not say anything about using it as a weight detriment or appetite suppressant supplement.

For more information visit natural health supplements blog