A sample of companies active in plant and other natural product collection and screening

Alphabetical List of Companies

As of 1993, the following companies and institutions were involved in natural products research programs. This is not a comprehensive list and some information may have changed since this list was compiled.

COMPANY: Abbott Laboratories

COLLECTORS: University of Illinois; independent collectors

CAPACITY: 20-50 primary screens

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Microbes, plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Anti-infective, cardiovascular, neuroscience, immunoscience

COMPANY: Boehringer Ingelheim

ACTIVE SINCE: 1986-89

COLLECTORS: University of Illinois, New York Botanical Garden (pilot program in 1986); independent collectors

CAPACITY: 8-12 screens; 5,000 compounds per year

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants, microbes

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology

COMPANY: Bristol-Myers Squibb

ACTIVE SINCE: company established

COLLECTORS: Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Oncogen (pokeweed protein); independent collectors

CAPACITY: not available

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Fungi, microbes, marine, plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Anti-infective, cancer, antiviral

COMPANY: CIBA-GEIGY

ACTIVE SINCE: 1989 (marine); 1992 (tropical plants)

COLLECTORS: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; independent collectors

CAPACITY: 4,000 samples tested (1991)

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Microbes, marine, plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Cancer, cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, CNS, respiratory, anti-allergy

COMPANY: Eli Lilly

ACTIVE SINCE: active in 1950s and 1960s

COLLECTORS: now collaborates with NCI, Shaman Pharmaceuticals and independent researchers

CAPACITY: not available

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants, algae

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Anti-infective, diabetes, cardiovascular, cancer, CNS, pulmonary, anti-viral, skeletal diseases

COMPANY: Glaxo Group Research

ACTIVE SINCE: 1988

COLLECTORS: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; Chelsea Physic Garden; Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (Beijing); Biotics, Ltd.; University of Illinois/NCI

CAPACITY: not available to the public

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Fungi, microbes, marine, plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Gastrointestinal, respiratory, anti-infective, cardiovascular, dermatology, metabolic diseases, cancer, anti-inflammatory, infectious diseases

COMPANY: Inverni della Beffa

ACTIVE SINCE: late 1950s

COLLECTORS: in-house and independent collectors in Asia, Africa and South America

CAPACITY: in-house screening of hundreds of samples per year

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Cardiovascular, gastro-enterologic and anti-inflammatory

COMPANY: Merck & Co., Inc.

ACTIVE SINCE: 1991

COLLECTORS: INBio; New York Botanical Garden; MYCOsearch

CAPACITY: not available to the public

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Fungi, microbes, marine, plants

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Respiratory, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, cancer, cardiovascular, anti- infective, antiviral, gastrointestinal, prostate, bone disease

COMPANY: Miles, Inc.

ACTIVE SINCE: 1991

COLLECTORS: contract companies; independent collectors

CAPACITY: not available to the public

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Microbes, plants, marine, fungi

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: CNS, anti-infectives, cardiovascular, anti-diabetes, rheuma diseases

COMPANY: Monsanto

ACTIVE SINCE: 1989

COLLECTORS: Missouri Botanical Garden

CAPACITY: 9,000 samples per year, mainly from North America and Puerto Rico; number of screens is not available to the public

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants, microbes

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Anti-infectants,cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory

COMPANY: National Cancer Institute

ACTIVE SINCE: 1960-1980; 1986-present

COLLECTORS: U.S. Department of Agriculture (1960-80); Missouri Botanical Garden; New York Botanical Garden; University of Illinois; Kunming Institute of Botany, China; Central Drug Research Institute, India; Brigham Young University; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Sciences; Coral Reef Research Foundation; Smithsonian Oceanographic; University of Connecticut; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Miami; Michigan Biotechnology Institute; Tel Aviv University

CAPACITY: 1960-1980: received almost 35,000 species of plants, 16,000 marine extracts, and 180,000 microbe extracts; under current program, receives almost 10,000 plant, marine, invertebrate, fungi, and algae samples per year

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants, microbes, insects, marine, fungi

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Cancer, AIDS, antivirals

COMPANY: Pfizer

ACTIVE SINCE: not available

COLLECTORS: Natural Product Sciences (now lapsed); New York Botanical Garden

CAPACITY: not available to the public

NATURAL PRODUCT FOCUS: Plants, spider venom

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, psychotherapeutic, anti-diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, gastrointestinal, immunoscience