Substances found through bioprospecting of traditional cultures have led to the development of chemotherapy drugs and pain relievers.

“But even during that time period when those folks were younger, the pharmaceutical companies, and I make this argument in my book, the pharmaceutical companies had technology to make all kinds of drugs, but they didn't know where to look. And so what did they do? They sent people to traditional cultures around the world to find substances that say the traditional culture say can help people.”