Project Details:

International Center for Natural Product Research - Workshop for finalizing the project proposal document for setting up of ICNPR

Project No.:2007-051-1-300
Start date:2008-01-01
End date:2011-12-31
Division:Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry Division
Objective:

Remark: Follow up to earlier projects, 2003-046-1-300 and 2005-034-1-300

 The main objectives are:

a) Finalise a Project Proposal in an international format, for the establishment of "International Center for Natural Product Research (ICNPR)" with the primary goal of working on Safety, Efficacy, Standardization and Documentation of Herbal Medicine.

b) Prepare Fund Applications for different public and private donor agencies.

Description:
Considering the importance of herbal medicine around the world and more so in the developing countries, the Task Group Chair initiated discussions among scientists about establishing a for Research Center targeting herbal medicine since 2003. IUPAC supported the idea through a project (#2003-046-1-300) entitled "Workshop for formulation of plans for the establishment of a Center of Natural Product Research (CNPR)". A successful workshop with fifty five scientists, took place in New Delhi in Jan 2004 just before the IUPAC Biodiversity and Natural Products Conference. The project completion report and follow up on that were discussed in various forums including those of IUPAC, specially with the Organic and Biomolecular Division in Beijing in August 2005. As a result of the discussions, a successive project (#2005-034-1-300) was granted by IUPAC for the "Development of methodologies and protocols for documentation, evaluation of safety & efficacy and standardization of herbal medicine".

With co-sponsored by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, a workshop and Task Group meeting was held in Dhaka during 06-09 June 2006 (Minutes of the Task Group Meeting attached). During the next one year the Task Group has prepared Protocols on Safety, Efficacy, Standardization and Documentation of Herbal Medicine. The draft protocols were presented by the Task Group Chair at the Div III and Sub-Committee meetings in Torino, Italy in August 2007. The hard copy of the Protocols were circulated among the members present and has been electronically communicated to all concerned with the project. With incorporation of suggestions, comments and corrections from many scientists, the Protocols are in a final stage for printing. A Monograph with further details on the topics are also being compiled and will be printed by February 2008.

At the sideline of the 12th Asian Chemical Congress in Kuala Lumpur in late August 2007, the Task Group Chair and three other core members of the Task Group met and considered some action plan as the follow up of preparation of the Protocols for working on Herbal Medicine. It was agreed in the meeting that a Project Proposal for setting up ICNPR (International Center for Natural Product Research) will be prepared, mostly by electronic communication among the Core Task Group members during the next few months. The Core Task Group will then meet in March 2008 to finalise the Project document and write covering letters to different prospective public and private donor agencies.
Progress:

May 2008 - A workshop was held on 16-17 March 2008 in Dhaka, Bangladesh; read chair's report [pdffile - 37KB]

All the Core Task Group members, two inducted members and eight Scientists from Bangladesh attended the Workshop. presided over by the Task Group Chair. The Chair introduced the Draft Project Document to the participants of the workshop. After detailed discussions it was concluded that several parts of the document will be rewritten with inclusion of Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives as revised in the meeting. Some other important decisions were also taken which include identification of Initial Focus Areas (Metabolic Syndromes such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Dyslipidemia, Viral Hepatitis, Gastrointestinal Disorders and Skin Diseases) and main Divisions (Industrial and Public Liasion, R&D, Administration and Support Services) of ICNPR.

Seven Working Groups were also formed and the Chair was given the responsibility of coordinating the activing of the Working Groups. The first Group comprising of Prof M Iqbal Choudhary, Prof Barry Noller, Prof Vijaya Kumar and Prof Geoffrey Cordell (included after the Workshop) has finalized the Project Proposal Document which is being scrutinized by the International Advisory Board (IAB) formed for giving guidelines to ICNPR from time to time. The Project will be submitted to the Bangladesh Government in July 2009 for endorsement.

June 2009 - As pledged in the Workshop, the Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences (BIHS), an enterprise of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association, has recognised ICNPR as one of its Centre and the Chair has been given the designation of Honorary Director to implement the ICNPR project. For the purpose, BIHS has provided office space for ICNPR in its temporary location in Dhaka. Two Research Fellows and an Attendant have also been provided to work full time for ICNPR and preliminary work has already started.Â