The pharmaceutical major Apex Laboratories Ltd., Chennai, which ventured into the manufacturing of herbal medicines through its herbal division Green Milk Co., plans to position its new herbal drugs as exclusive export oriented drugs, contrary to the earlier plans of launching it in the domestic market.

Top-level sources with Green Milk Co. told Pharmabiz that the company is eyeing the African and European markets for its five herbal drugs readying for commercial production, namely Dianex antidiabetic tablet, Immunit immunostimulant tablet, Liveral for curing hepato-bilary disorders, Cardolin cardio protective tablets and Poweromin, an aphrodisiac. Initially apex will be concentrating countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Sri Lanka, where other apex products have found good markets. "The idea to position the products from Green Milk as exclusive export drugs is mainly due to factors like the value proposition involved, increasing demand for herbal drugs in the western markets due to its non-side effects capability, and the quality of our products which are clinically and scientifically proven by reputed agencies" said sources.

The pre-clinical and clinical trials for Dianex were conducted by the Kasturba Medical College and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, and is claimed to be the only anti-diabetic poly herbal formulation supported by such systematic and scientific studies. The drug is capable of regenerating and revitalizing the pancreatic cells from apoptosis, regulates insulin resistance in the fat cells and muscle cells, checks the pathological conversion of starch into sugar and regulates the blood glucose levels. It also regulates cholesterol, phospholipid and triglycerides level in blood, stimulates immunity, and scavanges Superoxide and Hydroxil radicals, said the study report from Kasthurba Medical College.

The safety of other drugs were studied and proved by the toxicity studies performed at the TIFAC Centre of Relevance and Excellence in herbal drugs, JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty, Tamilnadu. The cardioprotective tablet Cardilon is capable of managing cardio disorders like coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial necrosis, angina, cardiac arrthymias, ischemic heart disease etc. Poweromin stimulates growth and maintain the primary and secondary sex characters of the male, and promotes youthful vigor and vitality, and improves motility of sperms and quality of semen. Immunit is capable of activating the immune system and body defence mechanism and ensures immuno potentiation during viral infections and other conditions of immuno deficiency. It can be used as an adjuvant therapy in immunodeficient diseases like Tuberculosis and AIDS. Liveral, can manage hepatobilary disorders like liver cirrhosis, alcoholic liver damage, hepato-encephalopathy, viral, acute and chronic hepatitis etc.

Green Milk Co. was formed by the Rs.45 crore odd apex laboratories ltd. about two years ago to venture into drug research and manufacturing of exclusive herbal drugs. Apex Lab's, Zincovit is the market leader among Zinc based multivitamin and multimineral brands. The company also manufactures many popular brands like Zincofer and Trifer catering to the haematenic segment, Zincoderm range of ointment for the Dermatology segment etc.

Apex lab has under its control about 1600 acres of private forests in Agastia Hills in Papanasam Taluk in Nellai District, Tamil Nadu, declared as one of the Plant Diversity Centers in Indian sub continent for conserving Global Biological Diversity in a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. This forest is said to have innumerable herbal species including 125 specimen of rare endemic species forming part of IUCN red list category of threat exists in this forest, said sources.