Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) has identified 39 formulations for eight specific disease conditions to work on for developing drugs under the Golden Triangle Partnership (GTP) mission, the tripartite initiative of the Department of Ayush, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Talking with Pharmabiz, Dr G S Lavekar, director CCRAS said that total 23 areas were identified as priority area under GTP scheme. Among them mutra vikara (urinal disorder), sleep disorders, rasayana, joint disorders, cardiac disorders are considered as most priority basis and kept in first phase GTP work plan. For these conditions total identified 22 formulations and information has been sent to the CSIR for standardization, safety /toxicity studies etc.

In 2nd phase work plan of GTP, experts of Ayush, CSIR and ICMR have discussed on HIV/AIDS, malaria, menopausal syndrome recently and total 17 formulations has been identified. Apart from this, CCRAS also organized some workshops with brain storming sessions on Bhasmas / Rasa yogas resulted in identification of 8 Bhasmas/Rasa yogas, he added.

Detailing about the identified formulations, he said that for the Mutra Vikar or urinal disorder (BPH- Benign prosthetic hypertrophy)-5 formulations, for cardiac disorder- 3 formulations, joint disorder-7, for Rasayan disorder-5, sleeping disorder (stress induced insomnia)-2, malaria-2, HIV/AIDS with both Ayurveda stream-6 and siddha-4, menopausal-5 formulations had been identified till the date.

It may be noted that this project is an integrated technology mission for the development of Ayurveda and traditional medical knowledge based on synchronized working of modern medicine, traditional medicine and modern science. In this, CCRAS has only its part to identify the formulations of the Ayurveda and Siddha drugs to play. On the other hand CSIR does standardization, toxicity test and tests for targeted biological activities.

"The identified formulations that have been sent to the CSIR are examined for standardization, toxicity and some other testes. Then after, they are sent to some of the manufacturing companies being identified as Maharshi Ayurveda Pvt. and Arya Vaidyashala for bulk production. Later the manufactured drug would go for the clinical trail at ICMR", he added.

Further, Lavekar said that the inputs for the hypertension, dyslipidemia, HIV/AIDS and Osteoporosis protocols drafted by CCRAS were provided to ICMR for further discussion.