TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is all set to conduct clinical trials of B Anandaiah’s herbal concoction for Covid-19 in a private lab at SV Nagar in Perumallapalli of Chittoor district.
The medicine will be tested on animals in the private lab in four phases. TTD Trust Board member and Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) Chairman Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy on Wednesday said researchers from the TTD-run Sri Srinivasa Ayurveda Pharmacy have intensified their study to ascertain the efficacy of herbal concoction in treating Covid.
“The TTD has decided to conduct the clinical trials at Sugen Life Sciences laboratory, which is recognised by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in four phases. A retrospective study of the herbal medicine will also be conducted during the clinical trials,’’ the Chandragiri MLA said. Speaking after visiting Sugen Life Sciences Private Limited lab near Tirupati, Chevireddy said, “Sri Srinivasa Ayurveda Pharmacy, Ayush Department and Sugen laboratory will individually study the efficacy of the herbal medicine of Krishnapatnam and reveal their findings.” Researchers at Sugen laboratory informed that they will also conduct clinical trials on animals such as rabbit and mouse to ascertain the efficacy of Anandaiah’s herbal medicine in treating Covid.
All herbs used in preparation of the concoction by Anandaiah are available in Seshachalam forest. “Based on the results of clinical trials and directions from the State government, the TT D will gear up for the preparation and distribution of herbal medicine,’’ Chevireddy said, adding that the researchers will submit their report on its efficacy within 20 days. Earlier, Chevireddy and experts from Srinivasa Ayurveda Pharmacy interacted with the family members of Anandaiah at the TUDA office and collected details of the concoction.
They also gathered information pertaining to the number of patients who took the alleged medicine for Covid. It may be noted that Dr Murali Krishna, principal of Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic Medical College, Dr B Narayana, Associate Professor, and other faculty members had already visited Krishnapatnam and studied the preparation of Anandaiah’s herbal concoction. The expert team also collected samples of the medicine to study its efficacy and interacted with a few patients who took the concoction.