The National Center for Pharmaceutical Crops (NCPC) of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, is a pioneer in pharmaceutical crop research in the United States. It was formerly known as the Center for Medicinal Plant Research. NCPC was established in 2004 through U.S. Congressional Appropriations with the effort of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert.
We define the term Pharmaceutical Crops as the crops that are used for
extraction or preparation of therapeutic substances such as drugs, active
pharmaceutical ingredients, vaccines and antibodies as well as other
therapeutic proteins. Based on the type of pharmaceuticals produced, these crops can be classified
into three distinct, yet sometimes overlapping, categories: crops for the
production of small therapeutic molecules (STMs), large therapeutic
molecules (LTMs), or standardized therapeutic extracts (STEs).
Our Missions:
• Improve human health by discovering novel anti-tumor and antiviral agents from native and invasive plant species
• Enhance U.S. security in strategic pharmaceuticals, by reducing dependency and vulnerability on foreign supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Revitalize the U.S. and Texas rural economy by developing high-value pharmaceutical crops
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 © 2010 NCPC
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