Cancer Institute (NCI) is screening plants for compounds active against the AIDS
virus and nine major types of cancer. Since 1986, the NCI has received samplings of
thousands of plants from ethnobotanists throughout the world. Indigenous people
have been testing and using healing plants for thousands of years but only recently
have their knowledge been sought by Western researchers.
CHAPTER 6 HERBAL MEDICINE 85
REGULATING HERBAL MEDICINE IN THE UNITED STATES
In the 1960s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed the current U.S. regula-
tions regarding medications. At that time, herbal medicine had little popularity and thus
was virtually ignored by the FDA. Herbs are viewed as dietary supplements and are con-
trolled by the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Under this act, dietary
supplements cannot make specific medical claims as can prescription and OTC drugs.
General statements such as “improves memory” or “promotes regularity” can be used as
long as a disclaimer notes that the herb is not approved by the FDA and that the product is
not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
It is unlikely that most herbal medicines will ever win FDA approval since the process costs
approximately $100 million per drug. Large pharmaceutical companies are willing to invest
this fortune in new drugs that can be patented and sold at high profits. In contrast, grant-
ing exclusive rights or patents to most herbs, such as garlic or ginseng, is nearly impossible,
which takes away the financial incentive to get them approved for medicinal use. The lack
of profit, rather than the lack of efficacy of herbs, keeps drug companies from advocating
change toward FDA approval of herbs.
How Does Herbal Medicine Work?.
Herbal medicine is the original medicine. In many parts of the world, treating illness
with herbs is still the only medicine available. Even though only a tiny fraction of
plants have been studied for medicinal benefits, conventional physicians regularly
use plant-derived products. Twenty-five percent of all prescription drugs sold in the
United States are derived from plants. Examples of herbal remedies that have been
synthesized into modern drugs are reserpine from Indian snakeroot, digoxin from
foxglove, quinine from Peruvian bark, aspirin from willow tree bark, morphine from
opium poppy, cocaine from coca leaves, and atropine from deadly nightshade.
Recently, researchers discovered taxol, found in Pacific yew bark, which is currently
being used in the treatment of early and advanced breast cancer and ovarian
tumors. Taxol has also been found to decrease the chances of developing breast can-
cer in women who are at high risk. Unfortunately, taxol has also been associated
with an increased risk for pulmonary embolism and endometrial cancer. Another
