Erddig has many yew trees. Although the foliage (but not the berries) is highly poisonous, the clippings from the Yew trees at Erddig have been used to make the cancer treatment drug Taxotere.
The foliage of the yew trees, collected from Erddig, along with other National Trust properties, was sent to Germany to be made into the drug. The trees contain an anti-cancer agent with can be extracted though a complicated chemical process.
The one and a half tons of annual clippings collected from Erddig would make more than 60 single treatments of the life-saving drug.
Taxotere is given as an infusion over one hour. It is used in the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer where chemotherapy has failed or is inappropriate. It is also used for non-small cell lung cancer where first-line chemotherapy has failed.
