The 20-year patent law is the result of this type of cozy relationship between government agencies and pharmaceuticals. The end result is that drug costs are now the fastest-growing expense in medical services. This was done to protect political interests and the profits of the pharmaceuticals. Another example is the negligence regarding the toxicity of mercury amalgam fillings and many of the new drugs coming on the market. The recent banning of natural progesterone cream is a good example of the blatant bias of the HPB against the natural health product industry.
Progesterone is a hormone present in the human body in both males and females.
It is not a drug but a natural substance which cannot be patented unless it is somehow chemically adulterated. The progesterone found in most creams used for reversing osteoporosis and PMS symptoms, relieving hot flashes and the other symptoms of menopause is an unadulterated form of the hormone which is derived from yams. The two substances are not identical, a fact which is clearly documented in hundreds of published scientific studies. We have found that if a drug can be found to do the job of medical healing, a nutrient can be found to do the same job. When we understand how a drug works, we can imitate its action with one of the nutrients.