Nature does not operate in straight lines or single-variable equations. It is interdependent, adaptive and alive. Our bodies operate in the same way and are not separate from nature. It should not surprise us that plant-based therapies often meet our needs in ways that synthetic pharmaceuticals do not.

Botanical drug development is highly technical. Unlike conventional pharmaceuticals, which rely on a single active ingredient, botanical drugs must account for hundreds of compounds working together. It is not enough to demonstrate efficacy; developers must map the chemical fingerprint of the drug and ensure it can be replicated across every batch, every harvest, every bottle. This is the essence of the FDA’s Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) requirements, which is why so few botanical drugs have crossed the regulatory finish line.

But it is not just about what is inside the bottle. Everything that leads up to it matters – soil health, sunlight, water, climate and harvest time all shape the final product. When your raw material is a plant, the farm becomes part of your lab. Such consistency requires stewardship that is both scientific and ecological.

Decades of unregulated supplements and exaggerated claims have clouded the reputation of plant-based therapies. The global supplement market, though vast and accessible, is rife with inconsistency. A 2019 international study found that over a quarter of tested herbal products were adulterated, with undisclosed fillers, contaminants or outright substitutions.

Amid this gap in credibility, there is a new path forward – one that is rooted in scientific rigour. Botanical drugs are distinct from supplements. They undergo the same clinical trials as any other investigational drug, are reviewed by the FDA and are manufactured under cGMP conditions. They are not folklore repackaged – they represent a new category of evidence-based medicine, drawing on nature’s intelligence, guided by science and designed to serve the patient first.

Consider autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Today, there are only two FDA-approved treatments for ASD-related symptoms, and both are antipsychotics – medications originally designed for schizophrenia, not for the nuanced needs of neurodivergent children. Both drugs are accompanied by formidable side effects, such as sedation, weight gain and metabolic risk. For many families, the trade-off is too high.

To find solutions, families turn to the margins: cannabinoids; adaptogens and plant-based therapies not designed by pharmaceutical logic, but discovered through lived experience. Without clinical oversight or regulatory clarity, these efforts become a patchwork of trial and error. The potential is there, but the infrastructure is missing.

This is where botanical drugs can change the story. Imagine a full-spectrum hemp extract, developed specifically to address the irritability often associated with ASD. A solution tested in trials, standardised in formulation, prescribed by a physician and covered by insurance for many. Not a supplement. Not a gamble. A repeatable therapeutic outcome, built for patients who have long waited for science to catch up with the grassroots movement created by thousands of anecdotal reports.

As public interest in natural wellness continues to surge, the pharmaceutical landscape is beginning to shift. In 2024, the global botanical drug market was valued at approximately $37.5bn, and by 2033, it is expected to grow to $58-73bn.

‘Botanical drugs are held to the same standards as any pharmaceutical – clinical trials, FDA oversight and strict manufacturing protocols’

We are welcoming in a new era where we are combining innovative regulatory pathways with state-of-the-art technologies to characterise and standardise complex botanical mixtures to pharmaceutical-grade consistency. This is happening at a time when cultural scepticism of conventional pharmaceuticals is increasing, while trust in plant-based therapies is growing. In fact, over 50% of American adults already use supplements, many of which are botanically derived. The desire is clear.

While conventional drugs serve a purpose, botanical drugs will help fill the void left by synthetics, particularly in chronic and multifactorial conditions, offering more options for physicians to effectively treat their patients. As major pharmaceutical companies begin to recognise this, we are likely to see more partnerships, acquisitions and investment in this emerging category.

For too long, drug discovery has been driven by a reductive impulse: to isolate the ‘active’ molecule and discard the rest. This model has its place, but when it becomes the only model, it limits our access to important therapies.

Botanical drugs invite a shift in perspective. They encourage us to consider that therapeutic value might lie beyond the dominance of a single compound. They shift our focus from targeting symptoms to supporting systems, and from disrupting biological pathways to restoring balance within them.

This shift is not just scientific – it’s cultural. It invites us to revisit ethnobotanical knowledge and learn from how different civilisations have used plants for healing. We can merge ancestral intelligence with the precision tools of modern pharmacology. In doing so, we will address many unmet needs that linger in the margins, in areas where conventional drug development does not reach. I believe we do not have to choose between nature and science – instead, we should design therapies rooted in both.