AUSTRALIA (KINGAROY) PHARMA BOOM FORECAST

The Kingaroy district of Australia "is the world's largest supplier of raw materials for a range of life-saving drugs extracted from the Duboisia or corkwood tree," reports the Australian Sunday Herald newspaper, quoting the Kingaroy Shire Council's economic development officer, Vaughn Prasser, as saying that the industry is "worth A$100 million ($66.2 million) a year to major drug countries, and has more than A$2.7 million of raw product and drugs exported" from the area each year.

Mr Prasser pointed out that 50 growers in the region are producing A$2.7 million worth of Duboisia product a year; it is a "booming area and the Duboisia industry reflects this." A primary use of Duboisia is as a pre-surgical muscle relaxant, and he said that at least 75% of patients around the world who enter hospital surgical thearters "carry with them a small amount of Kingaroy." This region of Australia is said to produce 95% of the world's Duboisia requirement, and the industry is a major pharmaceutical export-dollar earner for the country.

Alkaloids of Australia and the German company Boehringer Ingelheim are said by the Sunday Herald to be the two drug companies involved in the Duboisia exporting industry.