In a breakthrough move that can help in the fight against dengue, a herbal medicine against it is claimed to have been developed by scientists in India, which accounts for 50 per cent of the global population estimated to be at risk from the disease. Experts are now gearing up for the next step, which is to hold clinical trials and toxicity studies before seeking permission from the Ministry of Ayush and the Drug Controller of India (DCI) for commercial production. The project was undertaken jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and Ranbaxy Research Laboratory (now owned by Sun Pharma), and employed Ayurveda in devising the drug. "Using the knowledge of traditional Indian medicine - Ayurveda - we developed a systematic bio-assay-guided screening approach to explore the indigenous herbal bio-resource to identify plants with pan-DENV (dengue virus) inhibitory activity.

Mohammad Aslam, senior advisor to DBT, which funded the project, said since the drug has been made from plant extracts and not chemicals, it has sought permission from both the Ministry of Ayush and also the Drug Controller of India.

"The drug has proved to be resistant to four types of dengue virus."

"Sun Pharma has been tasked with launching the drug commercially after conducting the trials," Aslam said, adding that the company has patents in 17 countries where cases of dengue are high.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, poses a significant global public health risk. In tropical countries such as India, where periodic dengue outbreaks can be correlated to the high prevalence of the mosquito vector circulation of all four dengue viruses (DENVs) and the high population density, a drug for dengue is being increasingly recognised as an unmet public health need.

India represents 50 per cent of the global population estimated to be at risk of dengue. Severe dengue, which is potentially fatal, correlates with very high virus load, reduction in platelet counts and haemorrhage.