Some time ago I wrote about the possibility of a shikimic acid shortage and what science is doing to address the problem. Shikimic acid, you say? The starting material for the influenza drug Tamiflu, of course!
Microbial fermentation seemed to be the way forward, but now chemists have discovered that the seeds of the sweetgum fruit – gumballs – contain significant amounts of shikimic acid. The finding means manufacturers will not have to rely on seasonal supplies of the seeds of the star anise fruit.
Thomas Poon of the W.M. Keck Science Center at The Claremont Colleges in California who heads the team says, “Our work gives the hearty sweetgum tree another purpose, one that may help to alleviate the worldwide shortage of shikimic acid.” The findings, which could help increase the global supply of the drug, Poon told the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, this week.
Shikimic acid is used to make a generic drug called oseltamivir (Tamiflu) which is used to fight many types of flu viruses. Some health experts believe that this and similar antiviral drugs could help save lives by slowing the spread of the virus in the absence of a bird flu vaccine, which is still in development.