Seven unique compounds used by the Unani practitioners have been patented so far and another 15 compounds will be patented in near future, thanks to the initiative taken by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) under the Department of Ayush.
The council had taken a policy decision during the 1979-'80 period not to patent Unani drugs and instead to publish the process and drug details in journals as a way to popularize Unani. However, it decided to change this stand about five years ago with a view to create global acceptance for Unani drugs. As a result, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) tied up with CCRUM to undertake research and standardization of a selected few potential Unani compounds during year 2000, Prof Hakim Syed Khaleefathullah, VP of CCRUM and its erstwhile president since 1984 to 1995, told Pharmabiz.
The drugs that got Indian patent include compounds to treat leucoderma, arthritis, liver diseases etc. As per the CCRUM data, pre-clinical studies are being conducted on 8 drugs in collaboration with CSIR, and clinical trials are being done for formulations to treat Ziabetus Sukkari (Diabetes mellitus), Waja-ul Mafasil (Rheumatoid arthritis), Kasrat-e-Shahmuddam (Hyper-lipidemia), Lltehab-e-Kabid (Infective Hepatitis), Nar-e-Farsi (Eozema), Dau Sadaf (Psoriasis), Daul Feel ( Filariasis), Kala Azar etc. Further, the JV has isolated novel diterpenoid anti-cancer compounds from folk plants of Kashmir Himalayas effective in eight types of human cancer cells, and it has been submitted for US patent. About 30 compounds are being subjected to advanced standardization and clinical studies.
Hakim Syed Khaleefathullah said the relatively unorganized Unani sector had about 300 manufacturers in different parts of the country, of which only four or five can be called as large-scale manufacturers. Most of the manufacturers are in the small-scale segment, mainly concentrated in Hyderabad, Delhi, UP, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Though the actual size of Unani drug manufacturing segment is yet to be assessed, the industry's export turnover is estimated only to tune of Rs10 crore. Despite the Indian manufacturers getting good enquiries from South East countries like Malaysia and Singapore and from the Middle East, they are averse to the idea of exporting value added Unani products and herbal food supplements to fatten their export earnings.
India has about 54,000 registered Unani practitioners, and there are 41 Unani colleges. PG courses are offered in some of the Unani colleges at Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. A National Institute of Unani Medicine was established at Bangalore in 1983, and 11 Regional Research Institutes, 7 Clinical Research Units, one Literary Research Unit, 2 Survey and Cultivation of Medicinal Plants Unit, 7 Drug Standardisation Research Units are functioning at present under CCRUM. Recently, the 25-year-old Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Chennai, was modernized at a cost of Rs 3.20 crore.
Unani medicine is gaining popularity and acceptance among many people in the country of late. Various Central and State Governments also have come forward to support it. CCRUM has plans to develop a few strategies for catapulting the Unani drug manufacturing sector, education and treatment practices, and the same has been brought to the top-level decision makers, said Hakim Syed Khaleefathullah.