Herbal Product for HIV/AIDS under Clinical Trial In India

Bal Vedics' Immuwin drug for AIDS under clinical trials at KMC, Manipal

December 01, 2007
Nandita Vijay, Bangalore

Bal Vedics, the herbal arm of Bal Pharma, has taken its Immuwin drug for AIDS for clinical trials. The trials are on at KMC (Kasturba Medical College), Manipal which is a part of the Manipal Group in Karnataka. Fifty patients were recruited, of which 30 are expected to complete the trial and the data will be submitted to the Department of AYUSH regulatory cell for approval. Once the trial data is approved, the company will market Immuwin in South Africa. The trial will be complete in early 2008.

Meanwhile, the company has already launched the product in seven states in the country. These include the four southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, besides Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab.

There are several immunity-boosting drugs for HIV in the market but Bal Vedics is the only company which is directly targeting Immuwin for the treatment of AIDS. The product is doing extremely well in the markets of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is registering the highest sales in the latter. On the Worlds Aids Day observed annually on December 1, we have seen a positive acceptance of our Aids product as patients have found improvement in their immunity levels and better management of their lifestyle, Archana Mitra, general manager, Bal Vedics, told Pharmabiz.

We have started our clinical trial on the product at KMC, Manipal. We are confident that the product has bright future, stated Mitra.

The largest sales are generated for Immuwin from southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Since the company is looking at market expansion, clinical trial data is mandatory for proving the efficacy to medical practitioners and more so in the allopathic segment.

Each tablet is priced at Rs 5.95 which makes it affordable for patients.

According to the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society, 2006 surveillance figures shows that Bagalkot in north Karnataka is among the 12 high prevalence districts when it comes to HIV/AIDS cases in the state. The prevalence in the district alone is 2.88 per cent. It is 3.19 per cent in rural limits and 2.34 per cent in the urban limits. The Devadasi system, migrant labourers and child marriages are said to be the root cause for such a high prevalence in the district and the other being the wealthy agriculturalists who indulge in high risk behaviour for pastime.

Source: http://www.redribbon.org.in/herbal-product-for-hiv-aids-under-clinical-trial-in-india