The Madurai based Arya Vaidya Nilayam (AVN), one of the oldest ayurveda drug manufacturing company and treatment centre, has signed MoU with the Bahrain based East West Group to float a network of clinics in the Middle East under the brand 'AVN Middle East'.

AVN is planning to start the Middle East operations by launching two centres at Bahrain for the royal family in December 2006, according to informed sources. The company has recently received approval from the authority of Bahrain to commence the project. Plans are to set up six clinics in Arab Emirates as the first phase, followed by a target of 20 clinics in the first year of operations in various Middle East nations.

The company is in the final stage to commence the operations at two centres, for which the experts for the clinics have been appointed and the basic facilities are provided by the East West Group itself. The company has exports to Germany and Australia at present.

As Pharmabiz reported earlier, the company was planning to commence the ME operations by July 2006 along with its upgradation of manufacturing facility and R&D unit for expanding production and product range, with an investment of Rs 10 crore. AVN is also on an anvil to launch an anti oxidant and a major anti-diabetic product within the year, with some products in the segment of gynaecology, cervicitis and anaemia and a growth tonic for children are on pipeline.

The 76-year old company has already entered into an agreement with a foreign university to execute projects on cardio-vascular and diabetes treatment, where the foreign partner will provide technology to suite the ayurveda system of medicine. The company's plans to set up an ayurveda hospital at Madurai are also on progress.