Only a few years ago a small early-stage clinical trial seemed to show that Macugen, one of the currently approved treatments, did improve vision.

Pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in his approach as a substitute for early-stage human trials.

Further early-stage trials of the drug in a number of different cancers are ongoing.

Preliminary research results for most other extracts are on isolated cell lines, animal research with rodents, or early-stage clinical human trials as pilot studies.

Boswellic acid is also undergoing an early-stage clinical trial at the Cleveland Clinic.

And it shows how expectations diverge in early-stage clinical trials, when researchers want to learn if cutting-edge treatments are safe, but patients are hoping for a cure.

In 2010, California committed fifty million dollars to early-stage clinical trials.

The data presented at the conference from early-stage trials showed signs that the drug has activity against both cancers, but perhaps not as much as some investors expected.

Celltech also has five drugs for inflammation and cancer in early-stage trials and they are expected to come to the market by the end of this decade.

It also completed early-stage trials for rheumatoid arthritis and is considered a possible treatment for other inflammatory diseases.