Innovation by cooperation: An example for the development of a refined Valerian extract with a new field of application

Herbal medicinal products play an important role in the therapy of many diseases. Scientists all over the world make grate efforts to discover new remedies based on herbal drugs.

Innovations are classified by the degree of novelty and the investments needed. While minor innovations can be based on galenical modifications, the highest level of innovation is represented by the introduction of new herbal substances into therapy. Additionally, the use of special production techniques can lead to extracts showing new properties even when produced from known herbal substances. Such extracts are classified as refined extracts. Refined extracts can have new pharmacological characteristics and may be used in new fields of applications.

As often companies concentrated on the production and development of herbal medicinal products are small or medium sized, they often cannot manage such innovations on there own. To share risks and to overcome difficulties arising on the way of a development process, a cooperation of experts in different fields of research is an appropriate and successful possibility to innovate new herbal medicinal products.

In this workshop the development of a refined valerian extract is taken as an example for a successful cooperation between commercial and academic efforts at pharmaceutical companies and universities, respectively. Contributions to the development of a refined valerian extract showing new selective anxiolytic properties are given. Beside Finzelberg, the Universities of Newcastle and Münster have been partner in this successful project leading to a refined valerian extract with unexpected properties and a new field of application.