The State Government's Pharmaceutical Corporation (Indian Medicines) Kerala Limited (Oushadhi) will soon modernize its R&D centre with an investment of Rs 1 crore.

Talking to Pharmabiz, N Gopinathan, managing director of Oushadhi said the Department of Ayush has allotted Rs 1 crore for modernizing the R&D centre at Oushadhi. The fund would be utilized to develop existing infrastructure and in-house process development for drugs. Oushadhi launched two drugs last week, Oushadhi cough syrup and Bliss herbal pain balm.

The Panchakarma Hospital set up by Oushadhi in Thrissur took off on October 18. The Rs 62 lakh spent hospital will primarily stress on traditional Ayurvedic panchakarma treatment and has modern infrastructure to admit 20 inpatients for various treatments. The center also has an R&D centre, aimed to ensure quality of drugs and to develop drugs and treatment protocols for affordable and cheap Ayurvedic treatment. The R&D Centre at the hospital would initially stress on developing treatment protocols for diabetes and cholesterol control, as lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart diseases are found have been on the rise in Kerala, said Gopinathan.

He said, Oushadhi, which manufactures over 150 Ayurvedic products, recently executed a major Rs 30 to 35 lakh-worth order for the Pondicherry Government. Oushadhi disburses 60 per cent of its production through the public sector medicine distribution chain. Products of Oushadhi have extensive penetration in the Kerala market, especially its popular anti-diabetic drug Prameha Oushadhi and Saraswatharishtam.

Parameha Oushadhi contributes about one-tenth of the total turnover. The company had posted a turnover of Rs 14 crore for the financial year of 2003-'04. Products of Oushadhi have popularity outside the state, especially in Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan etc, said the managing director.