|
 |
| home > pmps > winter 2003 > standardised extracts and traditional herbal remedies versus pharmaceutical drugs |
|
|
 PUBLICATIONS |
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Packing Sourcer
|
Following the increase in popularity of herbal supplements over the last decade, such products have become a source of debate on topics ranging from the need for legislation, to the relative benefits compared to pharmaceutical drugs, and the way in which herbal compounds are prepared. Their popularity can be attributed to the perception that pharmaceutical drugs interfere with a natural process and have serious secondary effects. In 1998, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that prescription drugs are responsible for more than 100,000 deaths in American hospitals every year (1). Likewise, herbal remedies are considered safer by the general public because they are seen to enhance a natural process.
For example, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplements (from Griffonia simplicifolia seed extract) provide increased levels of the precursor to serotonin, apparently enabling the synthesis of new serotonin molecules. The therapeutic effects of 5-HTP have been compared to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, but with fewer unwanted effects (2). It has also been argued that pharmaceutical companies study the action of naturally occurring substances that cannot be patented in order to develop their own patentable molecule that performs approximately the same function. Natural products are rarely evaluated in the large, well-controlled clinical trials that are required to receive the approval of the regulatory bodies, and therefore tend to have less evidence to support their efficacy.
|
Read full article >>
|
|
 |
|
| Rate this article |
You must be a member of the site to make a vote. |
|
Average rating: |
0 |
| | | | | |
|
|
 |
Industry Events |
 |
Small Scale Biomanufacturing – clinical trials, cell & gene therapies
18 September 2008, Clifton Pavilion, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol
This one day conference, sponsored by bioProcessUK and organised by BioApproaches South West, will cover key, important topics relating to small scale GMP biomanufacturing.
More info >> |
|
 |
News and Press Releases |
 |
“PACK DIFFERENT” with EMBALLAGE 2008
“Business, Innovation, Outlook” are the watchwords for the 38th World Packaging Exhibition which opens in Paris from 17 to 21 November 2008. Fifteen months before the key packaging event of the end of 2008, EMBALLAGE displays its differences to offer you a new edition that is even more representative, international and rich in new features.
More info >> |
|
 |
