Australian cane toads by the million lined up for export to China as cancer remedy

They may be Australia’s most hated pest, routinely clubbed to death by the public, but cane toads could soon prove an unlikely source of income - as an export commodity to China.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that cane toad venom is effective in fighting cancer, with the potency rivalling that of toads found in Asia that are used in Chinese traditional medicine.

The discovery opens up the possibility of sending millions of toads to China, where they would be systematically squeezed for their juices, which would then be mixed with herbs and consumed as medicine.

Harendra Parekh, from the university’s school of pharmacy, said Chinese companies were “queuing up” to get their hands on Australia’s cane toads.

“We don’t have any of the environmental pollution, such as heavy metal poisoning, that you see in China,” he said. “So the Chinese see cane toads as living in a clean environment that doesn’t impact upon their venom.

“We could process the venom for medicine, ideally in a tablet because it tastes absolutely awful if you drink it. Look at lamb, beef and chicken - these Australian products are seen as premium goods in China. Cane toads would be no different. They’d be premium cane toads.”

The university has been working on cane toad venom as a cancer treatment since 2010, when former PhD student Jing Jing discovered that the poison killed cancerous prostate cells while sparing healthy cells.