For Immediate Release

Contact: John M. Martino
Phone Number:  (215)895-1186
Date: 3/6/00

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Establishes Complementary and Alternative Medicines Institute

In an effort to make herbal and other complementary medicines safer and more effective for Americans, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is applying its scientific and clinical resources to a new venture, the Complementary and Alternative Medicines Institute.

Funded in part by the Bayer Corporation, the Institute’s research will focus on analyses of herbs, bioassays, in vitro and in vivo studies, and clinical evaluations of supplements and other herbal preparations. Staffed by University of the Sciences in Philadelphia faculty, the Institute will provide science-based research expertise in pharmacognosy, clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, physical and analytical chemistry, biological chemistry, molecular biology and genetics.

"There is a need for solid, scientific testing, as well as testing of safety and efficacy of these medications in a clinical setting," explained Ara Der Marderosian, PhD, scientific director of the Complementary and Alternative Medicines Institute. Der Marderosian is a pharmacognosist who is known internationally for his research on ginseng.

The U.S. lags behind Western Europe in the standardization of herbal therapies and with supplement use growing, it is important that manufacturers and the medical community gain a stronger understanding of purity and efficacy for many of the herbal preparations.

"Herbal remedies may vary in safety and efficacy," said Der Marderosian. "A product might come from a different manufacturer or from a different batch of herbs. It may have been harvested in a different season or stored under different conditions. Because of this lack of standardization, medical practitioners have been reluctant to prescribe herbal remedies for their patients "

Today more than 50 percent of Americans use one or more dietary supplements. However, consumers are choosing supplements based upon word-of-mouth recommendations and unsubstantiated claims in the media.

Philip P. Gerbino, president of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, explains, "The establishment of this Institute is a continuation of our original mission. When we were founded in 1821 as the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, a primary goal was to raise the quality and purity of drugs in the marketplace."

"We think that this will go a long way to ensure that Americans who chose herbal preparations will get the safest, most effective medications available," said Der Marderosian.

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is a private, coeducational institution founded in 1821 as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first college of pharmacy in North America. USP specializes in educating students for rewarding health and science careers through its ten bachelor's, ten master's and four doctoral degree programs in the health and related sciences.

Bayer Corporation’s Consumer Care Division, based in Morristown, NJ, manufactures One-A-Day.

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