Home 禄 Metro 禄 Health and Science
Cancer drugs may become cheaper after breakthrough
By Liang Yiwen |
November 6, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CANCER patients may see their medical costs cut as researchers in Shanghai have developed a new technology to improve the anti-cancer ingredients in vinca - a plant nicknamed "life flower."
The leaves of vinca plants contain alkaloid, which can be extracted to make an anti-cancer drug that is especially effective for lung, breast, ovary and testicular cancers.
However, the drug is very expensive because each plant contains very little alkaloid.
One kilogram of the pharmaceutical raw material costs up to 1 million yuan (US$160,061) and the drug is generally sold at 220 yuan per 10 micrograms.
It costs about 40,000 yuan to take the medicine for one year.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University scientists managed to double the amount of the effective alkaloids contained in the plant leaves by metabolic control technology, said Tang Kexuan, dean of the university's School of Agriculture and Biology and head of the research team.
Researchers spent eight years to cultivate new flowers with the advanced technology, he said.
The technology helps researchers grow a new type of vinca with double the amount of alkaloid in the leaves.
The cost of cancer drugs is expected to decrease at least 50 percent in the next three to five years, researchers said.
The leaves of vinca plants contain alkaloid, which can be extracted to make an anti-cancer drug that is especially effective for lung, breast, ovary and testicular cancers.
However, the drug is very expensive because each plant contains very little alkaloid.
One kilogram of the pharmaceutical raw material costs up to 1 million yuan (US$160,061) and the drug is generally sold at 220 yuan per 10 micrograms.
It costs about 40,000 yuan to take the medicine for one year.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University scientists managed to double the amount of the effective alkaloids contained in the plant leaves by metabolic control technology, said Tang Kexuan, dean of the university's School of Agriculture and Biology and head of the research team.
Researchers spent eight years to cultivate new flowers with the advanced technology, he said.
The technology helps researchers grow a new type of vinca with double the amount of alkaloid in the leaves.
The cost of cancer drugs is expected to decrease at least 50 percent in the next three to five years, researchers said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
