Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2002 Mar; 1(3): 229-37.

Development of therapeutics: opportunities within complementary and alternative medicine.

Engel LW, Straus SE.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. engell@od.nih.gov

Whereas other components of the National Institutes of Health support the discovery and subsequent development of novel chemical entities into drugs, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) studies complex natural products that are marketed as dietary supplements. This article contrasts the regulatory framework for dietary supplements and drugs, outlines the challenges of evaluating dietary supplements for safety and clinical effectiveness, and describes the evolving drug model for botanicals.