Tamiflu, a special anti influenza drug, is made from star anise

On March 26, at the 2023 Yunlong Lake Life Science and Technology Conference, Liu Liang, an academician of the CAE Member and president of the Institute of Integrated Innovation of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said in a keynote speech on developing original research drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine to help the high-quality development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry: Traditional experience cannot be lost, and advanced technology cannot be missing.
Liu Liang told a news reporter that although many drugs can ultimately be synthesized and can reduce costs through synthesis, some of them originally originated from Chinese medicinal materials.
He specifically mentioned the anti influenza drug Tamiflu. Liu Liang said, The development of Tamiflu is the extract of star anise from traditional Chinese medicine. From raw materials to the production of anti influenza drugs, the added value has jumped by more than 1000 times.
Tamiflu is an oseltamivir phosphate drug developed and produced by Roche Pharmaceutical in Switzerland. According to the online pharmacy platform queried by a reporter from First Financial, the price of 10 75 mg Tamiflu capsules is about 300 yuan.
A journalist inquired about the latest price of Guangxi star anise website, and found that the price of one kilogram of star anise raw material was 17 yuan. The main raw material for the synthesis of Tamiflu was the monomer compound shikimic acid
In his speech, Liu Liang stated that the price appreciation multiple from star anise to the extraction of shikimic acid raw materials exceeded three times, while the added value of shikimic acid to the preparation of Tamiflu drugs jumped by more than 1100 times.
According to Liu Liangyuan, as early as the high incidence of influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, the sales of Tamiflu reached as high as US $3 billion, and China is the main source of Tamiflu raw materials. About 90% of the world's star anise is produced in China, most of which are produced in Guangxi.
However, he emphasized to reporters that although the main component of Tamiflu is the extraction of star anise, the cost of star anise cannot be simply regarded as the cost of a drug, because the development and production process of a drug also requires a large amount of cost investment.
According to reports, the production of Tamiflu has a total of 12 production processes. The process of extracting shikimic acid from star anise is quite complex, and only 1 kg of shikimic acid can be produced per 30 kg of star anise. Shikimic acid is converted into an intermediate chemical, epoxide, through three processes: a reactor, a filter, and a dryer. Subsequently, the structure of the epoxide must be opened and transformed into another intermediate chemical, azide, through atomic conversion; Azide is made into active ingredients, mixed with other additives, and finally dried in vacuum to form Tamiflu particles.
Tamiflu has been proven to be effective in treating various influenza viruses such as influenza A (H1N1) and H5N1, as well as in preventing influenza. When oseltamivir phosphate is used for influenza prevention after close contact with influenza patients, the recommended oral dose of oseltamivir 75 mg is recommended, once daily, for 10 consecutive days. The drug should be taken within 2 days after close contact, Ruan Zhengshang, deputy administrative director of the Infection Department of Xinhua Hospital, told a reporter from First Financial
Although star anise contains Tamiflu active ingredients, eating star anise does not directly prevent influenza. The probability of shikimic acid production from star anise during normal cooking is low. The star anise has a pungent and warm taste, which can be beneficial to the liver, kidney, spleen, and stomach meridians. It can warm yang, dissipate cold, regulate qi, and relieve pain. However, star anise contains safrole, and excessive consumption of star anise in daily diet may lead to poisoning.