Drugs from the past are synthesized to mimic some of our body hormones to encourage speedy recovery...but that was the past...

Nowadays some of the pharma-company are looking into natural products because they contain lots of compounds that are beneficial to human..
Example ginger: contain this compound called "zerumbone"...it is anti-cancer and probably anti-HIV...

I think they know that public nowadays are straying away from synthetic drugs but prefer a natural-derivative drugs...