Dabur to make Ayurvedic drugs for diabetes, malaria

With the Ayurveda sector in the country heating up with new entrants such as Ramdev's Patanjali and HUL's Ayush, homegrown FMCG major Dabur has decided to strengthen its portfolio by inking a licence agreement with the Government of India to produce two Ayurvedic drugs -one for management of diabetes and another for treatment of malaria -to begin with.

The company is preparing to bring these Ayurvedic medicines, which will be available in various formats, to the market within the next six months. While Ayush-64, for malaria, can be used to both prevent the ailment and treat it, Ayush-82 can be used primarily to mana ge diabetes.

“Around 50% of the count ry's population lives in mala ria-infested areas. This can prove to be a very cost effective solution,“ said Dr JLN Sastry head of healthcare research at Dabur India.

“Both medicines are not over-the-counter drugs and ne ed to be prescribed by a doctor The ingredients used in the medicines are very simple too -karela, jamun, mango seeds and Himalayan herbs such as kutki and chirayita.“

The Ayurvedic formulations for both these medicines were developed by Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Government of India. While a number of Indian firms were said to be in race for commercialization of these Ayurvedic drugs, Dabur managed to clinch the deal thanks to its greenhouses in the Himalayas where it grows the rare herbs that are used for producing these medicines. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Dabur-to-make-Ayurvedic-drugs-for-diabetes-malaria/articleshow/51115325.cms