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Herbicure
to trial pain drug in US
EPP
News Bureau - Kolkata
AFTER
the successful launch of Panekure a pain management drug that acts
through a novel drug delivery system to protect the kidney and gastro-intestinal
tract few weeks back in the domestic market, Kolkata based Herbicure
Private Limited would be soon signing an agreement with a North
American based organization for conducting clinical trials for its
new product.
The
herbal drug and biotech company has already applied for patenting
the drug with Indian and international patenting bodies. S R Dasgupta,
managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company
said: ‘‘This for the first time that an Indian company
would tie up with an overseas organization for the clinical trial
of a new ayurvedic product.’’ The pain reliever drug market
in the country is estimated to be around Rs 1200 crore and as per
OPPI estimates the number of patients is growing at an alarming
rate of 13 per cent per annum. Dasgupta feels that the drug would
capture a sizable portion of this market in the next couple of years.
He feels that Panekure, which has no injurious toxic effects on
the body, would be a boon to this huge population reeling under
rheumatism and inflammatory disorders.
The
scientists at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur
University, developed the research-based molecule and then under
a collaborative arrangement it was transferred to the company for
the commercialization of the product.
Herbicure
has completed three phases of development pre-clinical, clinical
and evaluation trials for this drug, Dasgupta said. ‘‘The
drug has been successfully tested on patients at the State Ayurvedic
Medical College & Hospital. The success rate is as high as 90
per cent,’’ Dasgupta said. ‘‘Panekure is aimed
at relieving joint pains without damaging the kidney and gastro-intestinal
tract. The 100 per cent ayurvedic formulation is devoid of any adverse
side effects due to its high therapeutic index value. The delivery
system of the medicine differs from the host of medicine available
in the pain management sector,’’ he said.
The
company claims that while almost all NSAIDS are non inducible COX1
inhibitor inhibiting formation of the Prostagladins causing GI tract
and Kidney damage, Panekure being a selective inducible COX2 isoenzyme
inhibitor, ensures safety for vital organs of the body ie; stomach
and kidney. So, it does not require the co-application of antacids.
Apart from this it claims that the drug is possibly the only medicine
with cytoprotective action further projecting and rejuvenating the
cells. Dasgupta further informed that the company would soon begin
post-marketing multi-center surveillance trials for the product
in India.
Furthermore
the company has also entered into a strategic alliance with US based
Cyanotech Corporation, for production and marketing of ‘Spirulina
Pacifica’ in India another very popular product of its stable.
The herbal drug is a select strain of Spirulina Plantesis and is
highly absorbable source of proteins and vitamins and acts as a
nutritional supplement.
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