DRDO developing Malaria cure from NE herb

SHILLONG: The DRDO is developing an anti-malarial drug from a herb available in the North-East that may be used as an alternative to normal drugs like Chloroquine.

"Six months back, we discovered the anti-malarial qualities in a herb Gommstema found exclusively in the North-East," Dr W Selvamurtyhy, chief controller of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) told reporters on Sunday.

He said the protozoal parasite Plasmodium Vivax Chloroquine, which causes Malaria, has developed resistence with the commonly used Chloroquine. The other drug Automason also has side affects.

The new drug, under experimentation, is expected to provide complete cure to the disease, he said.

The DRDP claims the drug would remove the Plasmodium Vivax strains from the blood of the affected person.

Dr W Selvamurtyhy said the product has been tested and approved by Dr Padmanabhan of IIS, Bangalore. "We are also identifying the chemical structure of the herb so that it could be cultivated for mass production of the drug," he said.

"The efficacy has been proved, and now we are looking into the safety aspects. After that clinical trials would be conducted by the DRDO laboratory at Gwalior," he said, adding it should take another two years before the drug can be marketed.