Question NW1587 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
03 August 2020 - NW1587
Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
(1)What (a) number of African, indigenous and/or traditional medicines has each of the entities reporting to him develop to the point where it has undergone clinical testing, been shown scientifically to have beneficial effects and put into production, sale and prescription by qualified medical and traditional professionals (i) in each of the past five financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2020, (b)(i) is the name of each of these medicines and (ii) diseases does each of the specified medicines treat and (c)(i) number of these medicines are currently under investigation, (ii) are the details of the reasons why each is under investigation and (iii) is the current status of each investigation; (2) what were the details of the cost to develop each of these medicines according to each stage of development as at the latest specified date?
Reply:
1. (a) There are eighteen (18) African natural medicines that have been through various levels of the value chain of medicines development, to the point of being prescribed by traditional health practitioners (i) of which fourteen (14) were in progress since 2015, and (ii) four (4) were since 1 April 2020.
(b) The (i) names and (ii) treatment purposes for each of these African natural medicines are listed in Table 1.
(c) (i) There are twelve (12 African natural medicines currently under further development, and Table 2 provides (ii) the reasons and (iii) the status of each investigation.
2. Table 3 illustrates the list of completed and ongoing African Natural Medicines studies, funded between 2015 and 01 April 2020
Table 1: List of African Natural Medicines and Types of Health Conditions each Treats
|
African Natural Medicine |
Treatment |
|
Phela |
Immune-Modulator (HIV, Covid-19) |
|
Medical Cannabis |
Cancers, Diabetes, Pain, Alzheimer’s |
|
Nkabinde |
Anti-Viral |
|
Marula |
Diabetes, Health Food |
|
Liv Green |
Tuberculosis |
|
Manay-Immune |
Immune-Modulators |
|
Four New Herbs |
Covid-19 Anti-Virals, Immune-Modulators |
|
Lenong |
Wound Healing, Arthritis |
|
Machaba |
Immune -Booster (Infectious Diseases) |
|
Prijap |
Diabetes, Immune-Modulator |
|
Umphetha |
Immune -Booster (Infectious Diseases) |
|
Aloe Path |
Wound Healing |
|
Moshumasekgwa |
Immune-Modulator |
|
BP6 |
Anti-Viral |
|
BP05 |
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Swollen Prostate) |
Table 2: List of African Natural Medicines, Reasons for Continuity and Progress
|
African Natural Medicine |
Progress and Reason for Continuity |
|
Phela |
Positive Phase 1 clinical trial for immune-modulation |
|
Medical Cannabis |
Activity for cancers, diabetes, hypertension and pain |
|
Nkabinde |
Activity for Anti-HIV latency and ACE-2 inhibitors |
|
Marula |
Techno-economic for large-scale manufacturing |
|
Liv Green |
Good pre-clinical and anti-hepatotoxicity activity |
|
Manay-Immune |
Positive pre-clinical studies for immune-modulation |
|
Prijap |
Activity for diabetes and general immune-modulation |
|
BP05 |
Activity against benign prostatic hyperplasia |
|
Four New Herbs |
Covid-19: Anti-virals and immune-modulation evidence |
Lenong, Machaba, Umpetha, Aloe Path and Moshumasekgwa are complete and will be handed over to traditional health practitioners in September 2020 for upscaling and full commercialisation
Table 3: List of completed and ongoing studies, between 2015 and 01 April 2020
|
Completed Research Studies |
Ongoing (New) Research Studies |
|||
|
Product |
Investment |
Product |
Investment |
|
|
Lenong |
R1 000 000 |
Phela |
R2 000 000 |
|
|
Machaba |
R1 200 000 |
Medical Cannabis |
R6 000 000 |
|
|
Prijap |
R1400 000 |
Nkabinde |
R10 000 000 |
|
|
Umphetha |
R1 000 000 |
Marula |
R2 000 000 |
|
|
Aloe Path |
R1 100 000 |
Liv Green |
R1 000 000 |
|
|
Moshumasekgwa |
R1 000 000 |
Manay-Immune |
R1 400 000 |
|
|
BP6 |
R1 200 000 |
Four New Herbs |
R1 000 000 |
|
|
BP05 |
R9 996 908 |
|||
|
Total |
R7 900 000 |
Total |
R33 396 908 |