A fair Share

TRIBALS and patent rights activists have
something to cheer for. In the first
instance of its kind, the Kani tribe
dwelling in the Agastyar hills in
southern Kerala, will get the rights over
an anti-stress drug developed by the
Tropical Botanic Garden and Research
Institute (TBGRI). The tribe had helped
locate the plant from which the drug
was developed.

Under the rights, 50 per cent of
the licence fee and two per cent of
the royalty would go to the tribe.
According to TBGki director, P
Pushpangadan, the drug 'Jeevani'
(Trichopus zey1nicus) had restorative,
immuno-enhancing, anti-stress properties. The tribe's habit of consuming the
leaves of the tiny plant which is known
among them as Arogyapacha (health
drug), was discovered by the scientists
who developed the drug after@ two years
of trial.

For starters, 50 tribal families will be
growing the plant for commercial use.
The TBGRi has transferred the know-how
of the drug to Arya Vaidya Pharmacy,
Coimbatore, which will purchase the
raw material from the tribe, develop the
drug and market it.