I have been hearing how the poisons in our Philippine cones can be regarded as assets in pharmacology because, even as we speak, they are being turned into painkillers that are non-addictive but very effective. One characteristic is that they can be used long-term without having to increase their dosage to be effective, unlike other painkillers like morphine. Meanwhile, in the Philippines and in the US, two Filipinos are leading research teams working on how poisons from our extensive range of poisonous seashells can be turned into painkillers. They are Dr. Lourdes Cruz, National Scientist, and her team in the Philippines, and Dr. Baldomero Olivera, Jr., at the University of Utah in the US. Dr. Cruz is a renowned Filipino scientist (a UP graduate in biochemistry, and an MS and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Iowa), who taught at UP Los Baños and Manila and worked with the International Rice Research Institute in her early career. She has written the most research papers in the University of the Philippines.

Ongpin, M. I. (2018, March 2). Non-addictive painkillers from poisonous Philippine seashells. The Manila Times, p. A4.