The Madurai based Arya Vaidya Nilayam (AVN), one of the oldest Ayurveda drug manufacturing company and treatment centre, has a signed an MoU and confidentiality agreement with University of Toronto in Canada to enhance mutual research activities.

The MoU signed last week with the Risk Factor Modification Centre, Diabetic Comprehensive Programme, St Michael Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada will initially conduct extensive research on diabetes, obesity and cardio vascular diseases. Now, studies on diabetes and cardio vascular diseases have already started.

As per the agreement, both the institutions will implement joint research activities, facilitate commercially viable research and development, pool in research and development projects already underway in the respective institutions into joint research activity, exchange faculty and research staff member and technical staff, exchange students and research trainees to work on collaborative programme, organize symposium and seminars, demonstrate technical applications and exchange information.

"The process has been going for the past eight months. The University of Toronto officials were impressed with our presentation at the Indo- Canadian Conference on Herbal product and Nutraceuticals held at Lucknow during February 2006 and we were having discussions about this programme ever since. Last week a team from the University of Toronto visited our institution and we signed the agreement then. We have got the products and they have the technical advantage, so this joint programme will be beneficial mutually," said K Sadagopan, director - marketing, AVN Ltd.

He said that after carrying out the research on diabetes and cardio vascular diseases, study on obesity would be carried out. At a later stage students and faculty exchange programmes will also be carried out.

Sadagopan said that the joint research work will provide a better understanding of the subject and help in providing good treatment to the people and have a deep understanding about the subject.

He said AVN would be opening a treatment centre in Colaba, Mumbai. The institution, which already has a centre in Andheri is starting the new centre to facilitate easy access for the clients. The proposed facility will have a Out patient clinic and authentic panchakarma treatment.