20 July 2001 (Friday)

The Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS), an independent civil society organisation based in Miri, Sarawak recently doubted whether calanolide A, an anti-AIDs compound from the Bintangor tree in Sarawak, will ever be developed by Malaysia due to continuing research difficulties and the lack of public understanding of the project.

"The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre should be more transparent about what is going on with the first-ever anti-AIDs drug to be developed from Sarawak's biodiversity, including the difficulties encountered in how research work on the compound is being done, " said Mr. Raymond Abin, Executive Director of the Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS).

The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre is a state body created by the Sarawak State Government in 1998, to facilitate and to focus development efforts on Sarawak's biological resources, through bioprospecting agreements.

BRIMAS, a Miri-based organisation working on issues concerning the rights of indigenous communities to their resources and knowledge, have been monitoring the developments on the anti-AIDs drug, in spite of difficulties.

Calanolide A, the anti-AIDs compound discovered from the Bintangor tree, is commonly found in the forests of Sarawak.

The native communities in Sarawak are known to use the trunk of the tree for building materials while its roots, bark and leaves are used to cure stomach-aches and tooth-aches.

In BRIMAS monitoring work, reports has it that Malaysia will never be able to develop the drug by itself since the research component of the anti-AIDs project is running into stiff competition from different countries, including Japan.

Initially, the development of Calanolide A into a drug was done by an American company called MediChem Research. Later they formed a partnership with the State Government of Sarawak in 1996, a 50:50 joint venture company call the Sarawak MediChem Pharmaceuticals. Since then the Sarawak Government has financed the first stages of Calanolide A's clinical development.

The Sarawak Government is estimated to pump in USD100 - 200 million (RM380 - 760 million) for the development of the drug. In the recent Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) sitting, the Sarawak State Government has approved and additional loan of RM4 million into Sarawak MediChem Pharmaceuticals.

The drug is currently in phase II clinical trials which are being done locally in Kuala Lumpur and in the United States and Singapore. - BRIMAS