Zingivir-H, an Ayurvedic medicine
developed by the Pankajakasthuri Herbal Research Foundation, a Kerala-based
Ayurvedic organization, has been approved for clinical trial by the Clinical
Trial Registry of India (CTRI), a body that comes under the Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR).

The drug, used to treat respiratory infections,
viral fever and acute viral bronchitis among others, has been found effective
against the respiratory syncytial virus and Influenza virus.

The drug has no side-effect in the human cell,
vitro experiments done at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology,
Thiruvananthapuram, found, following which the Institutional Ethics Committee
(IEC) granted the approval. Subsequently, the Central government’s CTRI granted
permission to conduct ‘Randomised single-blinded placebo-controlled prospective
multi-centre interventional clinical trial’ at various medical colleges across
the country.

“The effectiveness and quality assurance of ZingiVir-H
tablets are being ensured by giving it to adult patients with Covid-19
infection in various medical colleges across the country. The first results are
expected to be available by the second week of May,” said Dr. J Hareendran
Nair, Founder, Pankajakasthuri Herbals and formulator of Zingivir-H tablets.

Earlier on March 31, the AYUSH ministry had
issued a notification inviting AYUSH practitioners, institutions and
organisations to submit Covid-19 cure proposals. It had also set up a Task
Force consisting of representatives from the Department of Biotechnology,
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and AYUSH practitioners to
review the proposals.