Belgaum: Claimed to be first of its kind in the world, Indian scientists have formulated an Ayurvedic medicine to cure dengue. An autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and regional research centre in Karnataka’s Belgaum have started conducting pilot studies for the medicine that have been proved clinically safe.
The drug is likely to be available in the market from next year. According to Professor Vaidya KS Dhiman, Director General of CCRAS, the drug contains seven herbal ingredients which are used in Ayurveda for centuries.
“We started working on making this drug in 2015 and in the process pilot studies were conducted in Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, and in the medical colleges of Belgaum and Kolar which proved the clinical safety and efficacy of this drug in the management and treatment of dengue. We had prepared the drug by June last year,” Dhiman said.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. The disease may develop into the life-threatening hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage.
It is the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease across the world today, causing nearly 400 million infections every year, as per the data of WHO.