They herb it!

MANILA, Philippines - Public consumption and patronage of herbal medicines and supplements is expected to increase over the next few years with the emergence of locally based Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), which can conduct studies and verify the efficacy of such products, a top official of the Chamber of Herbal Industries of the Philippines (CHIPI) recently said. 

Dr. Rainier Villanueva, founding president and current director of CHIPI, said more and more Filipinos are now consuming herb-based medicines and food supplements with the said products gaining interest and support among the health-conscious buyers. 

However, Villanueva admitted that public consumption of some of these products continues to be hampered by the dismal amount of scientific studies to back up their effectiveness. 

At present, there are not too many herbs that have been proven effective. Among them are lagundi and sambong, which are proven to cure cough. Based on the records of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), medicines derived from lagundi and sambong have sold a total of 3.3 million units as of end-2009. This is equivalent to P430 million in gross sales revenues. 

Villanueva said public confidence on herbal supplements and medicine will strengthen with the advent of more scientific basis, thanks to the availability of CROs which conduct clinical trials. 

“Clinical trials cost billions of dollars and this has become a challenge to the local herbal industry. The ballgame is changing in the Philippines because now there are local CRO companies which can conduct clinical trials with international standards and evaluate data of the clinical trials,” Villanueva explained. “This is what the country needs,” he asserted.