Govt asks Ramdev’s Patanjali group to stop Covid-19 drug ads, seeks details

Taking cognizance of the high-voltage launch of “Covid-19 medicines” by Ramdev’s Patanjali group in Haridwar on Tuesday, the Ministry of AYUSH issued a notice to the ayurveda giant seeking details of the drugs.

Hours after Ramdev, along with Patanjali group MD Acharya Bal Krishna, unveiled a number of drugs that they claimed can prevent and cure Covid-19, the ministry denied knowledge of the drugs and asked the group to refrain from publicising them.

In a notification, the AYUSH ministry said, it “has taken cognizance of the news being flashed in the media about ayurvedic medicines developed for treatment of Covid-19 by Patanjali Ayurved, Haridwar. Facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to the ministry.”

It further said Patanjali group had been informed that such advertisements of drugs, including ayurvedic medicines, are regulated under the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. And, AYUSH’s approval is imperative for all medical research studies on Covid-19.

“Patanjali Ayurved has been asked to provide, at the earliest, details of the name and composition of the medicines being claimed for Covid treatment; site(s) or hospital(s), where the research study was conducted for Covid-19; protocol, sample size, institutional ethics committee clearance, CTRI (clinical trial registry-India) registration and results data of the studies,” the ministry said.

Until the ministry examines the drugs and Patanjali’s claims, it has instructed the firm to stop advertising or publicising any claims of curing the disease. It also requested the licensing authority of Uttrakhand to provide copies of licence and product approval details these medicines.

The drugs launched by the Patanjali group included Divya Coronil tablet and Swarasari Vati, along with an immunity boost kit. The medicines, developed by Patanjali Research Institute, in association with NIMS University, Jaipur, have cured all patients during clinical trials, Ramdev and Bal Krishna claimed. According to Ramdev, the randomised placebo-controlled trials that were conducted on hundreds of patients across India had a 100 per cent success rate.

“We conducted two trials. The first clinically controlled study took place in Delhi and Ahmedabad, among many other cities. Under this, 280 patients were included and 100 per cent of them recovered. With the help of NIMS, we conducted the clinically control study on 95 patients. Within three days, 69 per cent patients recovered and within seven days 100 per cent of them turned negative,” said Ramdev. He claimed that all necessary approvals for conducting such trials of medicines were secured from competent authorities.

According to its claims, a combination of optimum concentration comprising Divya Swasari Vati, Patanjali Giloy Ghanwati, Patanjali Tulsi Ghanwati and Patanjali Ashwagandha capsules along with Patanjali Divya Anu Taila was administered on Corona positive patients to tackle the outbreak.

The formulation consists of active phyto-constituents extracted from Ashwagandha, Giloy and Tulsi. Swasari Vati, comprising other potential herbs like Kakrashringi, Rundati and Akarkara along with hundreds of efficacious phytochemicals, phyto-metabolites and essential minerals, also exhibited its miraculous benefits against this lethal disease.

(With inputs from Sohini Das )