Commercialisation of Plant Based Medicines: Practical Case Studies

Wednesday 24 September

9.00    Greeting and opening speech (Dr. Daniel Kraus, Senior Lecturer, Institut de Droit de la Santé, University of Neuchâtel)

9.20    Introduction to the programme (Prof. Tony Bunn, MRC Innovation Centre)

09.30 – 12.30           Social and Economic Upliftment of Communities and their Countries through the protection of traditional knowledge (Chair: Dr. Daniel Kraus, University of Neuchatel)

09.30  Genetic resources and related traditional knowledge: a view from the negotiation room (Dr. Martin Girsberger, co-head, legal services Patents, Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property)

10.15  Promotion of traditional knowledge for socio-economic benefit in South Africa (Dr. Tom Suchanandan, SA Department of Science and Technology)

11.00  Coffee break

11.30  Socio-economic aspects of traditional knowledge: the role of the international community (Mr. Wend Wendland World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO))

12.15  Discussion and comments

12.30 Lunch

13.45 – 15.30           Scientific validation of plant-based medicines

(Chair: Prof. Tony Bunn, MRC Innovation Centre)

13.45  Development of products from bioprospecting leads: definition of a general strategy within CSIR Biosciences (Dr. Paolo Meoni, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, SA)

14.15  Scientific validation of plant-based medicines in Switzerland (Dr. Jean-Robert Ioset, School of Pharmacy, University of Geneva)

14.45  Health promoting properties of Rooibos and Honeybush herbal tea (Prof. Wentzel Gelderblom, Medical Research Council, SA)

15.15  Discussion and comments

15.30  Coffee break

16.00 – 17.30           Regulation of plant-based medicines

(Chair: Dr. Michelle Mulder, MRC Innovation Centre)

16.00  Regulatory issues and the registration of plant-based medicines in Switzerland (Dr. Christian Terraux, Vifor S.A.)

16.30  Practical case study (Dr. Christian Terraux, Vifor S.A.)

17.00  Regulatory issues and the registration of plant-based medicines in South Africa (Mr. Rabogajane Busang, Medical Research Council, sa)

17.15 Discussion and summing up of the day

Evening: Dinner (participants to be determined)

Thursday 25 September

09.00 – 10.45           Protection of intellectual property rights relating to IKS and plant-based medicines

(Chair: Prof. Tony Bunn, MRC Innovation Centre)

9.00    Latest developments in Switzerland: the new Patent Law (Dr. Daniel Kraus, University of Neuchatel)

9.30    Amendments to IP and other legislation in South Africa to protect indigenous knowledge systems (Dr. Michelle Mulder, MRC Innovation Centre, SA)

10.00  Latest developments in the discussions on the framework of the Convention on biological diversity (Mr. Robert Lamb, Senior Policy Advisor, Focal Point Biodiversity, Swiss Office for the Environment)

10.30  Discussion and comments

10.45  Coffee break

11.15 – 13.00           Commercialization of plant-based medicines

(Chair: Dr. Daniel Kraus, University of Neuchatel)

11.15  Bioprospecting at the CSIR and the Hoodia case study (Dr. Vinesh Maharaj, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, SA)

11.45  Development of Aloe ferox-based products – Baylabs case study (Prof. Tony Bunn, Medical Research Council, SA)

12.15 The point of view of the Swiss industry (Mr. Hans Rietveld, Novartis)

12.45 Discussion and comments

13.00  Lunch

14.30 – 16.00           Inclusion of traditional/ plant-based medicines in mainstream public health systems

(Chair: Beatrice Stirner, University of Neuchatel)

14.30  Education and training and the inclusion of traditional medicine in the public health system in SA (Prof. Nceba Gqaleni, University of KwaZulu Natal, SA)

15.00  The situation in South Africa (Mr Rabogajane Busang, Medical Research Council, SA)

15.30  The situation in Switzerland (Dr. Andrew Marston, University of Geneva)

16.00  Coffee

16.30 Discussion and wrap-up

Evening: Dinner (participants to be determined)

Friday 26 September

Site visits to Weleda and Roche, Basel (separate programmes)

Departure from Geneva to Basel at 7 AM