Hunters have
Hoodia royalties in
sights
A naturally occurring chemical in
an African succulent may help the developed world curb obesity and
benefit the local population who have known its secret for
centuries.
Hoodia gordonii grows
in semi-arid areas of South Africa. The San people (formerly known
as bushmen) of the Kalahari eat the bitter-tasting plant to suppress
their appetite and thirst when on long hunting expeditions.
Appetite is controlled by sensors
located in the satiety centre of the brain. In 1998 the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa found and
patented active ingredients in
Hoodia gordonii that
suppress appetite. Its development rights were bought by
Cambridge-based firm Phytopharm which then sold the licensing rights
to international pharmaceutical company Pfizer for $21 million.
The San people felt that their
heritage had been plundered, and earlier this year the CSIR agreed
to pay the San 8 percent of ‘milestone’ payments made by its
licensee Phytopharm during the drug’s development over the next few
years, which could reach R8 - 12million (£0.75 - 1million); already
R259,066 (£21,000) has been paid. If the drug is marketed, during
the 15 - 20 years until its patent expires, a percentage of the
royalties could earn R60million (£5million) annually for a trust set
up by the CSIR and the San.
Hoodia is a succulent in the family
Asclepiadaceae, which
includes stapelia, stephanotis and vinca. It forms multistemmed
clumps 45cm (18in) high and bears unpleasant-smelling, pale purple
disc-shaped flowers 7.5-10cm (3-4in) in diameter. |
