Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Drug Research (CDR) continues to drive the research agenda on ketum (Mitragyna speciosa), also known as kratom, by publishing over 150 scientific publications, making it one of the highest in the world.

Its director, M Vikneswaran, said the research centre, established in 1978, was among the early pioneers of ketum studies in the country, with research starting around 2009 before expanding through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates pharmacology, toxicology, analytical chemistry, clinical sciences, health policy, and social sciences.