Cow's urine, traditionally used for medical purposes in India, has been patented in the US as a distilled bio-distiller. The US move has prompted the Indian government to take necessary action to challenge the patent given to cow's urine, according to sources in the Council of Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR).
Cow's urine forms the component of panch gawya, a mixture of cow's milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung, used as component of food and medicine. It is also used in various Ayurvedic medicines. The same was being popularized as part of the Indian system of medicine.
The patent has also come at a time when two laboratories of CSIR developed new drugs for treatment of asthma and blood clot dissolver using cow urine. The Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, developed a sterptokinase, a blood clot dissolver that is claimed to play a crucial role in treatment of heart diseases and brain stroke. On the other hand, the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkatta, developed a poly herbal formulation, Asmon, that is said to provide instant relief to asthma patients.
It is not known what steps are being taken by the Indian government to challenge the patent, but sources claim the same would come up before the filing committee of the International Patent Institute, Geneva, for hearing. It was before the Institute that the Indian government was able to successfully overturn the patent given to neem and turmeric powder.