Why Are Exotic Plants Beneficial to the Pharmaceutical Industries?

Many people know that the analgesic in aspirin is derived from willow bark, but the extent of the pharmaceutical industry's use of exotic plants extends far beyond the willow. Pharmaceutical companies make billions of dollars making medicines from exotic plants.

Profits

• According to an article in the "New York Times," the use of exotic plants generates around $75 billion a year in profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Treatments

• Compounds isolated from exotic plants have important and FDA-approved medical uses. Approximately 62 percent of cancer medicines come from exotic plants. The seeds of the Australian bushwood plant, for example, are being studied as a possible treatment for cancer.

Indigenous Communities

• Many medically beneficial plants are brought to the attention of pharmaceutical companies by the indigenous people who use them. While some critics call this use of indigenous knowledge biopiracy, proponents say that both the pharmaceutical industry and the indigenous communities benefit. When reputable companies are involved, indigenous peoples living in poor communities are provided with jobs, medical care and improved living conditions. The relationships can, if handled correctly, prove to be mutually beneficial.