The National Institute of Siddha has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), Chennai for evaluating the efficacies of Siddha Drugs in treating tuberculosis and MDR-TB.

Besides undertaking Joint Research and Developmental projects in the areas of drug formulations, efficacy of drugs, establishment of diagnosis methods and other areas of basic medical and allied sciences research by the two institutes, the MoU will help the NIS and its method of treatment for getting an approval from the modern medical science in the case of the efficacy of year long Siddha method of treatment, it is expected.

According to sources from the Siddha Institute, the MoU is committed to strengthening its recognized role as a major national research institute and treatment centre through its increased interaction with major national research institutes with well-equipped laboratory such as TRC and Anna University. NIS has another tie up with Anna University for providing scientific evidence to Siddha system.

Dr S Bhoopathy Raj, director, NIS, said, by establishing co-operation between the two research institutes, they can enhance the scientific, technical, and medical competence of the two institutions while making better use of their respective facilities and enabling their faculty and staff to work together for joint research work and strengthen both the methods of treatment.

"We want to foster and expand our research, prove the efficacy of our drugs scientifically and standardize our treatment by this Memorandum of Understanding. We have traditional knowledge of Siddha Method, they have modern sophisticated instruments and facilities," Dr P Selva Shanmugham, medical officer at the Institute, said.

According to the tie up, Post Graduate and Doctoral Research Project Work and Training will be carried out at both NIS and TRC, besides organizing developmental programs on topics of mutual interest. The institutes will exchange members of faculty for guest lectures and, medical and technical consultancy activities apart from conducting short-term refresher courses and workshops.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, the director said with this tie up, the traditional Siddha medicines would be standardized through modern technology. Since the Institute has no laboratory support for diagnosis for Tuberculosis cases, the efficacy of the medicine will be proven with modern lab facilities at the TRC henceforth. So far the Siddha medicine has no scientific evidence for its efficacy, adequate documentation is required, to which the only way out is clinical trial, he said.

"Seyagulanthaka Sindhooram" and "Thalaka Parpam" are the two medicines, in the powder forms, found effective for treating MDR TB and XDR TB patients. By conducting clinical trials in the well-equipped laboratory of TRC, an unbiased methodology can be accepted for this healing system.

"The potential of anti tuberculosis drug in siddha shall be tested by means of clinical trial and field trial for Multi-Drug-Resistant TB (MDR TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR TB). The patients reporting at the NIS for tuberculosis diseases will be screened and the samples collection of sputum and blood will be sent to the TRC for diagnosis", he explained.

About raw materials, medical officer Dr Selva Shanmugham clarified that Siddha raw material like mercury, arsenic, and cinnabar were heavily toxic according to modern medical science.

"Since we are using these materials for therapeutic usage, pre-clinically we have to prove the safety profile in the animal models. We are developing most of our medicines in the form of nano materials. Medicines in this form have higher bioavailability rate. Nano Technology Department of Anna University provides support for this mode of drug making," he said.

The doctors said patients of rheumatology, skin, pulmonary, neurology and gastroenterology diseases prefer siddha medicines. National Institute of Siddha, Chennai, is one of the National Institutes established by the Centre as an Autonomous Body under the Department of Ayush.

An experts meeting will be held by the end of this Month, after that both Institutes will work together, the doctors said.