Egyptian scientists are developing a diabetes treatment from bitter gourd, but the jury is out on whether it could replace insulin.

Researchers have created a database of the chemicals in 300 Chinese herbs used in traditional medicine.

An international biotechnology centre should begin operations in Nigeria early next year.

A WHO study has found that African governments are giving traditional medicine increasing support.

Botswana is developing a policy to document and safeguard traditional knowledge.

A presidential award for research into using the soapberry plant to kill mosquitoes has stirred up debate over funding of Uganda's science.

Indigenous groups say they were sidelined at talks on a traditional knowledge treaty at the World Intellectual Property Organization.

China and India should set up a mechanism to boost traditional medicine innovations for diseases of the poor, a conference has heard.

Some of the potentially life-saving plants used in traditional medicine are in need of urgent conservation, according to an African study.

India plans to make a portion of its indigenous knowledge library open access, to enable the development of drugs for diseases of the poor.

A high-level partnership has launched a 'grand challenge' for innovations to reduce deaths of newborns and mothers.

The South African government is funding safety and efficacy trials of an HIV treatment developed from the 'cancer bush' Sutherlandia.

Funding has emerged for Malawi's S&T commission, which aims to cut the country's dependence on basic agriculture.

The development of an obesity drug from the hoodia cactus has been put on hold after pharmaceutical company Phytopharm pulled out.

The first database to record the effectiveness of traditional medicines is being created by the WHO.

South African universities are set to offer a new wide-ranging Bachelor's degree that will tackle all aspects of indigenous knowledge systems.

A funding gap has caused promising drug developments to stop at the Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

The biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan, yields agreement on how to fairly facilitate research on indigenous resources.

Rich and poor countries will be at 'loggerheads' at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting next week, India has said.

A single course of common antibiotics triggers the immune system to protect against malaria infection, say researchers.