Intellectual Property, Community Rights and Human Rights by Tonye Mahop Marcelin;Marcelin Tonye Mahop;

Author:Tonye Mahop, Marcelin;Marcelin, Tonye Mahop;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Economics, Finance, Business & Industry
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2010-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

Phytomedicinal exploitation of Pelargonium and actors involved

ISO-Arzneimittel and the University of Munich have been conducting research to identify the specific characteristics and therapeutic properties of the Pelargonium species which, in 2002, led to ISO-Arzneimittel embarking to file international patents on their research outcomes (more on the patents below). These patents and the research endeavours from which they emerged are all very recent, while, as indicated above, the Pelargonium-based products were already in the markets as far back as in the late 1890s (e.g., the Stevens Consumption Cure). Nowadays, the Schwabe’s Group, a German-based group, is the main and leading international actor in the phyto-pharmaceutical exploitation of the Pelargonium plants. The Schwabe Group includes Dr Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, which was founded in 1866 and is currently ranked the 25th largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Germany, making sales in the region of 420 million in 2004. Furthermore, Dr Schwabe Pharmaceuticals is ranked 149th largest over-the-counter health-care company in the world in terms of market share. It must be stressed that the specific contribution of the Pelargonium-based drugs produced by Dr Schwabe Pharmaceuticals to the performance of the company is not known. Apart from Dr Schwabe’s Pharmaceuticals, the other members of the Schwabe Group include its partnerships with actors such as Nature’s Way, Madaus AG, Spitzner, Farmasan, Extracta, DHU and ISO-Arzneimittel. The group works with a partner in South Africa, Parceval, based in the Western Cape, which is responsible for ensuring the supply of the raw materials to the Schwabe Group in Germany.

The Schwabe Group manufactures two homoeopathic remedies which are sold by its members as Umckaloabo in Germany and Umcka in the USA. In Germany, Umckaloaba is described as the modern therapy for infections, containing highly concentrated extracts of the active ingredients of the South African Pelargonium. The remedy is administered for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis in children and adults. On the other hand, Umcka is sold in the USA by Nature’s Way, a member of the Schwabe Group. This remedy is advertised as being clinically tested to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of sore throats, sinus and bronchial infections. The remedy was put to the US market in 2003 and has witnessed sales increasing to 700 per cent faster than any other drug on the market.30

To ensure continuity and sustainability of the R&D (the production of Pelargonium-based drugs) within the Schwabe Group, the South African partner of the group, Parceval, is responsible for the supply of raw materials. Parceval supplies materials harvested from its plantations of medicinal plants. But Parceval also buys materials harvested from some areas of the Eastern Cape Province by local harvesters who supply their materials to Parceval through middlemen. It is established that, as compensation deriving from their harvesting endeavours, local harvesters receive US$0.42–2.09 per kilogramme of dried roots. The middlemen who transfer these materials to Parceval in Cape Town earn in the region of US$139 per kilogramme. One critical point to raise is that harvesters appear to be applying unsustainable methods during their harvesting spree such as completely pulling the plants from their roots.

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