Monday, January 21, 2013

FDA approves crofelemer as first-ever oral botanical 'drug'

(NaturalNews) For the first time in its history, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an orally-administered herbal botanical for use as a treatment in medicine. According to the American Botanical Council (ABC), the botanical, known as crofelemer, is derived from a South American tree known as "sangre de dragon," or "dragon's blood" in English, and has been approved for use in the treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea.

The decision marks the second time ever that the federal agency has approved a botanical for the treatment of disease, with the first-ever approval having been granted in 2006 for a topical green tea extract marketed as Veregen (sinecatechins). According to an FDA press release, crofelemer, which will be sold under the trade name Fulyzaq, meets all the requirements for recognition as an American pharmaceutical, and will be dispensed only by prescription.

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