Drug development based on natural products is a fast growing area, due to the limitations of discovering newer synthetic molecules. In the conventional system drug development is based on the pharmaco-kinetics and dynamics. A drug, according to this definition is a biologically active molecule, which can act or react with a biological unit in the body to bring in a well-defined result within the given time. So drug in western medicine is like a bullet aimed at a given target, which will hit the target ever while it may have other side effects. In other words, it can be said that drug by this definition is drug without a holistic intelligence.
Ayurveda: A New Discovery Engine
Combining the strengths of the knowledge base of traditional systems such as Ayurveda with the dramatic power of combinatorial sciences and high throughput screening will help in the generation of structure-activity libraries. Ayurvedic knowledge and experiential database can provide new functional leads to reduce time, money and toxicity - the three main hurdles in the drug development.
These records are particularly valuable since these medicines have been effectively tested for thousands years on people. Efforts are underway to establish pharmacoepidemiological evidence-base to Ayurvedic medicines, safety and practice. Development of standardized herbal formulations is underway as an initiative of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI).
Hepatopretectives, hypolipedemic agents, asthma, Parkinson's disease, and many other disorders have reasonably established clinical effects. A review of some exemplary evidence-based researches and approaches has now resulted in wider acceptance of Ayurvedic medicines. Thus the Ayurvedic knowledge database allows drug researchers to start from a well-tested and safe botanical material. With Ayurveda, the normal drug discovery course of 'Laboratory to Clinics' actually becomes from 'Clinics to Laboratories'-a true Reverse Pharmacology Approach. In this process 'safety' remains the most important starting point and the efficacy becomes a matter of validation.
In the new era of drug development based on natural products, there can be two paths:
One the traditional (western) methods of drug discovery based on active principles and hit and trial method, and the another is intentional based on sound understanding of the paradigm of natural products action in the body based on Ayurvedic principles. The latter one has got greater chances of success and also has lesser time bar for development as it is based on the clinical activity.
Even here the health care product has to be divided into following categories:
(1) Cosmoceutical, as against cosmetics: the product, which brings in permanent physiological changes in the body, for example - Kumkumadi Thailam for skin fairness. This can be of Over the Counter (OTC) type.
(2) Neutraceuticals
(3) Functional foods
(4) promotive medicines - like in the areas of;
(a) free radical scavenging
(b) anti-ageing
(c) immuno enhancing,
(d) adaptogens
(5) In the areas of structural diseases like chronic kidney diseases, and Diabetic Retinopathy, etc, a package of management has to be developed where the drug will be an important component.
- (The author is Joint Director, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions)