Even though it is a difficult task to prove the efficacy of traditional medicines with the help of modern technology, it is essential to substantiate the efficacy factor of new formulations (proprietary drugs) manufactured under traditional method using herbs and natural products, according to Dr Anamik Shah, vice-chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith.

While delivering the keynote address at the Ayurveda Seminar organised as part of ‘Pharma Tech Expo 2016’ in Ahmadabad, he said there is a need today to blend modern technology with the age old wisdom for the progress of the traditional healthcare system. He said China is fast improving in developing and promoting traditional herbal medicines.
 
“To meet the future healthcare needs, the healthcare system in India needs a concerted approach by blending traditional drug research with modern technology. Though India claims that Ayurveda has a tradition of more than 3000 years old, China is 30 years ahead than India in developing their traditional medical system. Majority of Chinese people depend on herbal medicines. They have developed modern methods of standardization, tools and established large scale production units. Even their extraction units are 25 times bigger than those of in India,” he pointed out.
 
For a 5 kg single herbal product isolation is a difficult task in India, whereas in China, within the time, they do the work for 10 to 15 kg, that much technology has developed there. They are using bio-informatics, chemo-informatics and computational tools in a bigger way.

India has all facilities which can be used for the analysis and validation processes of Ayush drugs and natural medicines. The area of prevention of diseases has to be ascertained, as also false claims should be avoided. If Ayurveda practices are adopted in the right way, there can be large scale reduction in malnutrition and life style diseases, he said.

He pointed out that there were some problems faced by the Ayurveda industry in the country. The major one is with regard to quality of raw materials and their efficacy. Another one is bio-diversity changes. Same materials in different locations may not have active contents. Similarly, the shelf life of the formulations also depends on the efficacy profiles of the medicines.
 
To a question, Dr Anamik Shah said classical Ayurveda cannot be replicated everywhere as huge manpower is required. So it is better for the industry to go with new formulations.