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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 H. 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.
Source: rhs.org.uk |
