"A compound extracted from the Amazon's dragon's blood tree became the
basis of the experimental herpes drug Virend, which is featured in the
film."
Interestingly enough, the company that developed the drug is called
Shaman Pharmaceuticals.
http://www.hivpositive.com/f-NewsLine/f-ManufacturersNews/m-97-01-08-1.html
"But as some 90 other ethnobotanical research projects vie to extract
new medicines from the tropics, Plotkin is focused on preserving
vanishing tribal knowledge and lands."
It seems that we should take every opportunity to forge an common
association between the preservation of biological diversity, natural
habitats, and indigenous cultures and knowledge, with corporate
profitability in the 21 century. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass
about corporate profitability, but if the two ideas become linked in the
minds of the many, then conservation can piggyback on the runaway
success of the corporate-oligarchy meme-complex.
Anyway, too work.
Take care.
-KMO