A path-breaking technology to develop a broad spectrum, anti-microbial herbal formulation for tackling vaginosis, a female genital tract infection that can lead to infertility and cervical cancer, is transferred to the industry for commercial production, it is learnt.
The innovative technology, branded Nauroz, is developed by a team of scientists at Talwar Research Foundation (TRF) and the technology transfer is facilitated by Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), a public sector company promoted by the Department of Biotechnology.
“A tripartite licence agreement was signed last week between BCIL, Talwar Research Foundation and Kerala-based Bipha Drug Laboratories for commercial production of the herbal formulation,” a senior BCIL official said. The formulation is expected to be available in the market within a period of 12 months from licensing.
The technology provides a combination of the polyherbal microbicide Basant, also developed by TRF, along with three strains of lactobacillus, termed Pro-Vag-Health. As per clinical trial results, the combination has 95 per cent efficacy. Where Pro-Vag-Health was unable to regress vaginosis, the combination – Nauroz - was found to be effective in 19 out of 20 women.
“Currently available solutions are mostly specifc to either vaginosis or human papilloma virus (HPV). There is a need for a single formulation with bioadhesive properties and broad-spectrum activity against multiple bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens for treatment and protection from vaginosis and cervical cancer,” a researcher associated with TRF pointed out.
Demand for herbal products is increasing worldwide exponentially and the annual rate of growth has already crossed 8 per cent. According to a WHO forecast, the global herbal market would be worth $5 trillion by the year 2050. At present, Europe and the US are leading the chart with a market share of 41 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Against this backdrop, a novel polyherbal formulation for treating nagging infections like bacterial vaginosis signals the immense potential of such products in therapeutic field, say experts.
Bacterial vaginosis is the most widespread vaginal infection across the globe and is prevalent in 30-50 per cent of women in India. It is associated with a 357 per cent increase in the incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), an abnormality of cervical cells that could lead to cervical cancer. Carcinoma cervix, believed to be the most common form of cancer in women worldwide, claims 510,000 lives every year.
The normal vaginal flora is highly complex, dominated by lactobacilli of doderlein that plays a vital role in maintaining the women’s health and inhibits other pathogenic microorganisms. Disruption of the vaginal ecosystem changes the microflora of the healthy vagina, altering the pH and predisposing to lower reproductive tract infections. The change in the microflora of the female genital tract by pathogenic organisms may ascend from vagina to upper genital tract and may cause infertility. Many studies have proved that healthy women have higher levels of protective lactobacilli in their vaginal microbiome than women with infertility.
BCIL plays a crucial role in facilitating speedy commercialisation of biotechnology. The institution is actively involved in technology transfer, project consultancy, fund syndication, information dissemination and manpower training related to biotechnology.