Dept of Ayush plans to support effectiveness studies of 500 select ASU drugs for better global recognition

The Department of Ayush may initiate a scheme to support biological activity and effectiveness studies of 500 select Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) medicines so that they get a wider acceptance in the international markets and as part of further streamlining the regulations and standards in the sector.

The Steering Committee of the Planning Commission had made recommendations for supporting shelf life studies, development of phyto-chemical marker compounds, safety studies, biological activity studies and efficacy/effectiveness of 500 ASU drugs. The proposal is being pursued with the Planning Commission for approval, sources in the department said.

Other recommendations of the panel included development of new scientific monographs and revision of already published monographs, selection of priority drugs with high market potential by the Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicine and development of Ayush drug dossiers to facilitate entry of Ayush drugs in the international market.

Elaborating on the specific achievements of the Department in the last five years in the regulatory areas, an official of the Department said three national institutes and a Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicine have been/are being set up.



Publication of pharmacopoeial standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of 152 ayurvedic formulations, publication of pharmacopoeial monographs of 101 single plant drugs and 21 minerals, publication of macro and microscopic and TLC atlases of 172 drugs, and development of eight community herbal monographs in the format given by European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) for submission to European Union were the other highlights of the performance.

The Steering Committee of the Planning Commission also had recommended Rs.50 crore towards the activities in the regulatory area for the current Five Year Plan. The amount was sought for augmenting pharmacopoeia work to develop 1000 monographs and strengthening Pharmacopoeia Commission and associated laboratories to accelerate the work of standardization and quality parameters of ASU drugs as per global requirements and acceptability, to take up development of monographs of such medicinal plants as are widely used in folklore/tribal medicine but not documented in ASU literature and to work on the lines of other Pharmacopoeia Commissions of the world.

Ayurveda doctors to perform cataract surgery

Jaipur: A unique marriage between Ayurveda and medical science is on the cards in Jaipur. The tie-up is likely to produce eye specialists with an Ayurvedic insight, who can perform cataract, glaucoma and other eye surgeries.
The National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA, Jaipur), India’s premier Ayurveda institute is set to hire modern ophthalmologists in line with Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) guidelines.
The CCIM is a statutory body tasked by the central government to frame and implement various regulations, including the curricula of Indian systems of medicine — Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Tibb — at graduate and postgraduate levels.
“We’ll hire qualified ophthalmologists on part-time basis. The ophthalmologists (eye specialists and surgeons) will particularly perform eye surgeries at our newly-created operation theatre,” NIA, Jaipur director Prof Ajay Kumar Sharma told DNA.
The tie-up will become functional at department of Shalakya Tantra (eye and ENT) in NIA, Jaipur within a month. The ophthalmologists will not only perform surgeries with a team of Ayurvedic eye specialists of department of Shalakya Tantra at NIA, but also train the department’s postgraduate students. “We’ll begin with cataract surgery, the most common form, and later cover other eye surgeries, like glaucoma,” Sharma said.

Initiation of modern eye surgery at NIA, Jaipur is likely to boost prospects of present PG students of Shalakya department and help them become eye and ENT specialists to treat patients with green (natural and herbal) medications.
The NIA director believes the tie-up, if successful, will help develop eye specialists, who will go for holistic treatment of eye ailments. “Such eye specialists will first try to prevent spread of eye diseases with classical Ayurvedic formulations, and if not successful only then go for the surgical cure,” he maintained.
NIA, Jaipur has already implemented two similar synergies between modern surgery and Ayurveda at department of Shalya Tantra (surgery) and department of Prasuti Tantra (gynecology).
“At Shalya Tantra department, modern surgeons have joined their Ayurveda counterparts in performing most common surgeries, like appendicitis, hernia, gall-stone and at department of Prasuti Tantra they are aiding to perform caesarian deliveries and other tubectomy,” he added.