Editorial: Drug development of herbal medicines: Regulatory perspectives

The global trade of medicinal plants and their derivatives was estimated at US$33 billion in 2014, and the World Health Organization has estimated that it will increase to US$50 trillion by 2050. Different regulatory frameworks and categories at the national and regional levels describe medicinal plants either as mainstream therapy or as complementary and alternative medicines. The resulting complex terminology has seen medicinal plants classified as medicines (Australia), herbal medical products (European Union), botanicals (United States), and natural health products (Canada). In China, there is a distinction between traditional Chinese medicine (TCMs) and natural medicinal products. In India, traditional medicine is separated into three systems: Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. In Japan, Kampo medicines are classified as pharmaceutical drugs, and in…