Intellectual property and patent issues with phytotherapy products

Phytotherapy, the medical use of materials from medicinal plants (herbal materia medica, HHM), is an important part of traditional medicine that has been practiced in developing regions over centuries as a key source of health care, even in the present advanced era of science and technology. The world market for herbal medicines has been estimated at US$60 billion in 2003 with an annual growth rate of between 5 and 15%. For traditional Chinese medicines alone, figures are estimated as having exceeded E103.5 billion in 2010; and in 2015 the world market for Chinese medicine will rise to E138.5 billion, and optimistically to E175.9 billion in 2020 and E220.7 billion in 2025. Researchers and commercial industries who are working toward research and development (R&D) of HHM may attempt to claim intellectual property (IP) rights over HMM sources and/or traditional knowledge.