AMPIKA

Ampika, meaning "strong medicine" in the Quechua language, is a medicinal plants business that was spun out from Cambridge University in May 2003. The company was set up with finance from the Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds. Considerable care was taken to create an ethical business model that recognises the local contribution to the knowledge base. Ampika operates in two areas of healthcare: development of nutraceuticals (dietary supplements and functional foods) for retail to consumers discove... ry of plant-derived drugs for prescription use Ampika is seeking partners for marketing and distribution of its consumer products, and is looking to form collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to discover and develop plant-derived drugs. Françoise Barbira FreedmanDr Françoise Barbira Freedman, Director of Research, amassed a unique database, AmpikaPhytobase™, of 500 plants used in traditional Amazonian medicine. The database is the work of Dr Freedman of the Department of Social Anthropology at Cambridge University. It is the tangible result of 25 years' of her work with Peruvian traditional healers, and of her unique relationship of trust with the local people - who actively support Ampika's utilisation of their exceptional knowledge of medicinal plants.More