Adding value to Indigenous Knowledge through Scientific Innovation

Transcription

1 THE WORLD BANK Adding value to Indigenous Knowledge through Scientific Innovation INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE Benoni, South Africa 9-11 February 2005 Marthinus Horak Programme CSIR Bio/Chemtek Pretoria

2 IKS definition (World Bank) Local knowledge Unique to every culture or society Basis for local-level decision making in : Agriculture, health care, food preparation, education, natural resource management, etc. Provides problem solving strategies for communities Community rather than individual knowledge Tacit knowledge, difficult to codify, embedded in community practices, etc.

3 IKS some thoughts IKS is different, but equal, to Western knowledge systems IKS may have ancient origins, but is relevant in day-to-day lives of people Continues to evolve Is highly validated in context of community/local use

4 IKS in context of Global Development Millenium Development Goals: Eradicate poverty and hunger, improve education, gender equality, health issues, environmental sustainability and partnerships for development IKS can contribute significantly to development Must be leveraged with other knowledge resources Value addition to IKS through scientific innovation can create new benefits for society Requires partnerships

5 What is? The search for valuable chemical and genetic constituents of biodiversity

6 Vision for Add maximum value to bio-resources and indigenous knowledge through consortium-based research, thereby creating economic and social benefit for all stakeholders

7 strategy Biodiversity Scientific Innovation Indigenous Knowledge

8 S A s plant biodiversity indigenous plant species 8% of all plant species on earth 60% endemicity Mainly unexplored as source of natural medicines 25% of world s pharmaceuticals are derived from plants

9 Indigenous Knowledge Traditional Healers in SA >70% of population regularly consult a Healer Possibly plants may have biological activity

10 CSIR signs agreement with Traditional Healers (1999)

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12 Drug Development Cycle Discovery Development: Phase I, II, III and regulatory approval Commercial Sales Cumulative Investment Lead Discovery Early Proof Of Concept CSIR Time Multinational companies

13 Classic, rational approach to drug discovery Therapeutic concept Efficacy Assay (HTS) Screen compounds Evolve SAR and MC concepts Preclinical Development compound In vivo Pharmacodynamics In vitro models n-th NCE First NCE, iterate patent analytical production Pharmaco kinetics Toxicology IND Clinical Development compound New drug launch NDA submission Phase 3 Clinical study Phase 2 Clinical study Phase 1 Clinical study

14 in partnership with Traditional Healers Therapeutic concept Efficacy Assay (HTS) Screen compounds Evolve SAR and MC concepts Preclinical Development compound In vivo Pharmacodynamics In vitro models n-th NCE First NCE, iterate patent analytical production Pharmaco kinetics Toxicology IND Clinical Development compound New drug launch NDA submission Phase 3 Clinical study Phase 2 Clinical study Phase 1 Clinical study

15 CSIR facilities High-throughput plant collection and extraction Data and information management Nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography Plant biotechnology including tissue culture laboratories Clinical Supplies Unit, Botanical Supplies unit Good Farming Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Laboratory Practice

16 Consortium-based research: key component of No research group, company, country or region can control full value chain in CSIR Consortium consists of: Traditional Healers Universities Research institutes Communities Micro-enterprises

17 CSIR partners

18 Knowledge management challenges in The needle is hidden in a very big haystack Nearly plant species 50 years of modern research data Centuries of experiential learning of Traditional Healers Data and information security Communication between representatives of different knowledge systems Stimulate scientific innovation Support quality assurance procedures e.g. Good Laboratory Practice

19 Artificial Intelligence Artificial neural networks may be constructed to assist recognition of patterns such as ecosystem-speciesbiological activity relationships Aimed at implementation in southern African region, based on experimental data from South African species

20 Protection of intellectual assets: what are intellectual assets? Intellectual Capital Intellectual Assets intangible: learning, experience, capability to innovate People based information, technology, Indigenous Knowledge Product/technology based Intellectual Property Unique and highly valuable product or technology

21 Creation and protection of intellectual assets Intellectual Capital Search, record and add value Intellectual Assets Innovate Intellectual Property (IP) Involve owners of knowledge as partners in Keep secret Trademark/brand Develop into IP Patent

22 Commercialization of products Creation and licensing of patented Intellectual property Very long development periods Difficulty typically underestimated Rewards can be very high Production and sale of biodiversity products e.g. self-medication products (not patented) Regulatory environment is complex Requires strong brand identity

23 Risk vs. Return in High Patented drug leads Profit potential Low Herbal products Low Degree of value added High

24 Anti-obesity agent from Hoodia

25 Hoodia in its natural habitat

26 Hoodia: cultivation site

27 Anti-obesity agent (P57): structure elucidation

28 Community involvement Establishment of community-owned businesses, based on agro-processing Focus on alternative crops e.g. aromatic and medicinal plants Technology transfer and skills development allow value-adding processing Communities become partners in commercialization of bioprospecting successes

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30 Current activities Signed benefit-sharing agreements with owners of Indigenous Knowledge (San Council and Traditional Healer Trust) Signed bioprospecting agreement with Namibia (2005) Collected one-third of SA plant biodiversity (>8 000 plant species) Investigating more than 400 ethnobotanical leads provided by Traditional Healers

31 IKS-led drug leads under development Asthma and allergies Inflammation Arthritis Benign prostatic hyperplasia HIV Wound healing Malaria

32 THE WORLD BANK Challenges for this IKS Workshop Establish framework for collaboration: World Bank, GRA and Traditional Healers Identify pilot projects aimed at validation of IK Develop roadmap for the partnership, aimed at implementation of IK in support of sustainable development Present outcomes at 4 th Annual Meeting of GRA Principals and future World Bank Conference

33 THE WORLD BANK Thank you for your attention