Climate

Undiscovered Amazon drugs could be valued at $215 billion, analysis finds

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 28/09/2026, 08:09:24 UTC.

Briefings

A July 2026 analysis by London-based Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA) estimates undiscovered Amazonian drugs could be valued at $215 billion, representing 30% of global tropical forest potential. This value is at risk due to deforestation since 2001, which has already removed $86 billion in commercial drug value globally. The analysis notes that roughly three-quarters of cancer drugs approved between 1940 and 2014 were derived from natural products, with 99% of plant compounds remaining unscreened. Co-author Joanne Bentley-McKune stated that over the last 20 years, many endemic species in the Amazon may have been lost to deforestation.

Key points

• A July 2026 analysis by Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA) estimates undiscovered Amazonian drugs could be valued at $215 billion, representing 30% of global tropical forest potential.
• Deforestation since 2001 has already removed $86 billion in commercial drug value globally, with the Amazon alone holding roughly 30% of this total.

Context and limitations

The analysis covers undiscovered drugs based on flowering plants and estimates commercial value from 1940 to 2014. It does not provide specific drug names, exact species lists, or confirm the permanence of species extinction claims.

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