Right to Arm Bears

I heard an aside today about the need for biochemistry in medical school. I was fascinated at the story, but felt sorry for the individual who felt it useful to justify the class and content.  Too funny really. I was about bile and it's medicinal use.  And particularly focused on bear bile.

I knew that bears were being poached for their gall bladders but I had no idea of the value.  It's the Urso-deoxycholic acid (another application of biochemistry) that is sought. It's supposed to be good for joint pain, improving eyesight and to get rid of gallstones.  But $25 per teaspoon? Phenomenal!

Now I've not checked the facts, and it is hard to find evidence based practice guidelines, but apparently the value of UDCA has been shown and was listed as a medicine in the first official pharmacopoeia in the world, published in China in 659 AD. And apparently bears are a significant source of the bile that cures. There are even bile farms in east Asia where bears are drained of their bile thru surgically created "taps". Hot and cold running bile anyone? It is estimated that about 22,000 lbs of bile is produced in this was every year. There are 20-30 brands of farmed bear bile products including bile, tonics and wines on the market worldwide today.  At $25 per teaspoon, that's a $54 million market. Wow!

To no surprise this has spawned a huge illegal trade for bear bile and gall bladders including illegal hunting and farm raising. If there is a "cure" here, clearly more research is in order. I'm sure there is a frustrated biochemistry graduate student somewhere, trying to concoct the perfect substitute bear bile for market. Maybe I underestimated biochemistry?