Local plant heads to court

A South African rural community in Alice has lodged a patent challenge against a multi-national drug company that uses a local medicinal plant’s powerful chemicals. Together with a team of South African lawyers and environmentalists, they have lodged the challenge at the European Union Patent Office in Munich, Germany. The community considers the plant to be to be their traditional knowledge. Schwabe Pharmaceuticals has patented the extraction method used to dilute the active ingredient of Umckaloabo, also known as Pelargonium, used as a traditional medicine in the Eastern Cape and parts of Lesotho. The company has also patented using the plant to treat HIV/Aids-related illnesses. The Alice community has been using the plant for generations. Environmentalists believe the challenge, if successful, would be a major victory for indigenous communities world-wide.