Kratom is not “New”, it is very old and used traditionally by millions of people throughout Asia, since millennia. Science confirmed such widespread traditional use Grewal et al 1932. But medicinal chemistry got interested even earlier, with Ellen Field, who isolated Kratoms main Alkaloid, Mitragynine, already in 1921 in the University of Edinburgh. But 40 years of research failed to find a similar effective patentable synthetic analogue without the usual opiate side effects. So, a patent by SmithKline in 1963 could only get filed for a simple alkaloid extract with Mitragynine. That patent admitted the strongly reduced side effects compared to western pain medications.

The properties of Mitragynine as an atypical Opioid has inspired 2 generations of pharmaceutical Scientists. But the real mechanism behind Kratoms low side effects was only discovered in 2016.

In 2016 Gavril Pasternak et al published a study showing that the oxidation product of Mitragynine, Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl “and its analogs were potent agonists in [35S]GTPγS assays at the mu opioid receptor but failed to recruit β-arrestin-2, which is associated with opioid side effects. Additionally, 3 developed analgesic tolerance more slowly than morphine, showed limited physical dependence, respiratory depression, constipation, and displayed no reward or aversion in CPP/CPA assays, suggesting that analogs might represent a promising new generation of novel pain relievers.”

The holy grail of pharmaceutical pain research for 2 generations was discovered! Well, “Discovered” in a plant used since millennia by the people of Asia…for exactly the same purpose. Pain. Never mind…they patented it immediately for western medicine:

In the very same year, in 2016 Pasternak and his team filed a patent covering all possible attractive chemical analogues of Mitragynine and its Pseudoinoxyl. They filed it for the Rockefeller associated Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with (MSCC) Patent grant 11,046,692.

Not yet all reasons are known, why it took full 5 years to get the patent for mitragynine analogues officially granted by the US Patent office. But in June 2021 it got granted. Now, the mechanisms of western patent-based medicine can finally move on – to eliminate and replace Kratom as the only effective alternative to existing opiates.

The researchers of the MSCC knew about Kratoms superiority better than any other institution, their Patent confirms that. But until now, in 2021 its website still firmly recommends to avoid natural Kratom: “However, kratom cannot be used as a substitution for prescription pain medications, because studies on its safety or usefulness in humans have not been conducted. Its use is banned in some countries and US states due to potential for abuse. Moreover, some kratom products were recalled due to contamination“

These complex mechanisms to replace nature by patented chemicals are in place since Rockefeller founded the Pharmaceutical Medicine, as we know it today. Natural compounds got marginalized by synthetic patented substances because of their higher profit margins. In most cases nature lost. With a few important exemptions: When people got organized and rescued the traditionally used herb from these mechanisms.

This is just one of the reasons why a European Kratom Alliance was needed. Become a Member + Send us a message if you want to support our cause

Read more: DSHEA: The 1990 Victory the US Natural Health Movement