ABT Global Gets Patent on Mistletoe Product

ABT Global Pharmaceutical took a step toward its dream of developing extracts from medicinal plants that could one day gain medical acceptance as full-fledged drugs.

The tiny Irvine company, which went public last month, said it received a patent for formulating and replicating a compound made from mistletoe--a plant commonly used in Europe to treat cancer and AIDS.

Experts in herbal medicines say it’s so difficult to obtain such a patent on a plant product that drug companies traditionally have shied away from developing drugs from natural sources. ABT believes its patent may pave the way for commercialization of other herbal medicines.

Still, experts predict that it will be years before ABT can hope to prove to federal drug regulators that its formulations are safe and effective.