Mir Holistics Private Limited, one of the South-based exporter to Russia, in association with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has submitted a joint International Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application for patent rights for a herbal compound, claimed to be the first cent percent side effects free herbal tobacco and smoking cessation drug.

Disclosing the development to Pharmabiz in Chennai, K.Arun Kumar, Managing Director of the Kochi-based Mir Holistics Private Limited said the joint patent application was filed this week (386/NF/2004/11th October). The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) at Lucknow under the CSIR and Mir signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) a few weeks ago to subject the product anticig to further modern research. The drug was developed by Mir after many years of research from a combination of 16 odd herbs including spices ingredients, mentioned in traditional Ayurvedic texts. The patent application covers to launch the product in international markets as aerosole, spray, chewing gum, ointment and tablets.

As per the MoU, CSIR and Mir would equally contribute for the corpus Rs.50 lakh for advanced product validation, upgradation, research and standardization to effectively sell the drug in global markets. CSIR would receive royalty fees as per standard norms from the revenues of the drug.

Further, the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in India is at present evaluating anticig as per its protocols and parameters with plans of roping in the drug among WHOs worldwide campaigns against tobacco usage and smoking habits.