Diabetes treatment in India might get cheaper as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research launched on Wednesday the first scientifically validated Ayurvedic medicine that costs just Rs. 5 (less than 10 cents) to treat Type II diabetes.
The medicine named BGR 34 or Blood Glucose Regulator – 34 was developed by a team of researchers from National Botanic Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in the research units of CSIR.
According to the information revealed by CSIR, the new diabetes medicine is the combination of six herbal extracts including daruharidra (berberis aristata), giloy (tinospora cordifolia), vijayasar (pterocarpus marsupium), gudmar (gymnema sylvestre), majeeth (rubia cordifoila) and methika (trigonella foenumgraecum).
Senior Principal and Chief Scientist at CSIRNBRI, Dr. A K S Rawat, while speaking to the media said that India is home to over 6 crore diabetes patients and there is a staggering growth in the number of patients recorded every year. The ayurvedic medicine, Dr Rawat says, will work effectively in controlling blood sugar. Moreover, it will limit the side effects caused by other drugs.
Dr CH V Rao, principal scientist of CSIR-NBRI said the key ingredients inhibit DPP-4 (an enzyme, which destroys the hormone incretin) and enhances insulin secretion.
“The product passed a series of tests and showed hypoglycaemic (very low levels of sugar in the blood) activity in experimental subjects,” he said.
“The pre-clinical studies of the drug revealed significant reduction in high blood sugar level in diabetes induced subjects, demonstrating effects similar to that of the reference stan dard anti-diabetic allopathic drug. It was also found to improve Thyroid Function Test (TFT) and Kidney Function Test (KFT) and lipid profile significantly besides providing antioxidant activity . No side effects were observed during the course of the study,” he added.
Dr. Anil K R Sharma, vice-president of Aimil Pharmaceuticals said the drug will be priced at Rs 5 per tablet. “It is available on all major chemist counters in the state,” he said. He said they chose Calicut to launch the drug as the global Ayurveda fest was being held in the city.
Earlier last month, the CSIR announced that they have been successful in formulating a medicine for treating type 2 diabetes but procrastinated the launch of the new drug to fall in line with the Global Ayurveda Meet, which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on February 3rd , in Calicut, Kerala.
The new drug for diabetes has come out successful in the test carried out to assure its scientific validated for its efficacy and safety.
Pre-clinical studies of the anti-diabetic formulation have revealed significant reduction in high blood sugar level in diabetic patients and no side effect has been reported. The modern diabetes drugs are known for side-effects and toxicity.
India is one among the top countries with the highest number of diabetic patients along with the United States of America (USA) and China.
The discovery of the new medicine that can treat diabetes comes just a day after a Hyderabad-based lab confirmed that they have found a vaccine to prevent the spread of the Zika virus, which has been deemed by WHO as a possible epidemic. Also, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi the formulation of the new medicine is a triumph that can be highlighted as success of his “Make in India” initiative.
Kerala is considered as the birthplace of the traditional of Ayurveda and is home to the world famous Kottakkal Ayurveda Shala, where thousands of foreigners come each year for Ayurvedic retreat. Ayurveda is 5000 years old and is believed to be one of the first proven medical systems in the world. The two classic Ayurveda textbooks, Charaka-samhita and Sushruta-samhita are more than 2000 years old.
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