Herbal Medicinal Products: Scientific and Regulatory Basis for Development, Quality Assurance and Marketing Authorisation

Scientific evaluation of herbal medicinal products by the HMPC.

On 31 May/1 June and on 21/22 July 2005, the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), which was founded in September 2004, met for the 5th and the 6th time, respectively, at the offices of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA). A number of guidance documents has been elaborated by the Committee’s drafting groups on organisational matters, on quality and on sa...

SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION Invented name of the medicinal product: Zyprexa Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Contaminants of medicinal herbs and herbal products.

Medicinal plants have a long history of use in therapy throughout the world and still make an important part of traditional medicine. Thus, medicinal plants and herbal products must be safe for the patient (consumer). This review addresses biological contaminants (microbes and other organisms) and chemical contaminants (mycotoxins, toxic elements such as heavy metals, and pesticide residues) as...

BigPharma and unethical marketing of medicinal products

This case reminds me of other useless products I have come across such as Encephabol (pyritinol) from the German company, Merck3. When I worked in Botswana in the late 1980’s I received requests from doctors for this – for use in malnourished children as it ‘supposedly improves glucose uptake in the brain’. Surprisingly, that product still exists even in Germany with the indication ‘organic bra...

Hepatotoxicity of herbal medicinal products

Plant remedies, despite their innocuity reputation, are implicated in adverse events. The present review focuses on 30 popular herbs which are associated with severe and sometimes fatal hepatotoxicity: Actaea racemosa, Aloe barbadensis, Atractylis gummifera, Callilepsis laureola, Camellia sinensis, Centella asiatica, Chelidonium majus, Ephedra sinica, Garcinia cambogia, Hypericum perforatum, La...