Air Date: February 21, 1992

SEGMENTS

Pharmaceutical Prospecting / Bob Carty

Bob Carty reports on an agreement between the Merck Pharmaceutical Company and a Costa Rican conservation group to study all of the country's plants and animals for medicinal properties. If the company finds any useful substances, it will pay royalties to the country for rainforest protection and economic development. (12:10)

Drug Company Calls on Traditional Healers

Steve talks with Lisa Conte, president of Shaman Pharmaceuticals. The 3-year-old company hopes to turn traditional healing plants into modern medicines, and return a portion of its profits to the indigenous people who live in the areas in which the plants are found. (05:05)

The Bear Went Over...To the Pharmacy

Steve talks with ethnobotanist Shawn Sigstedt about recent discoveries that some animals, including some bears and apes, apparently use medicinal plants. (02:59)

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Pharmaceutical Prospecting

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Drug Company Calls on Traditional Healers

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The Bear Went Over...To the Pharmacy

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