A new study has found that the poly-herbal Ayurvedic drug
‘Ayush-64’ is safe, effective and well tolerated for use against Covid-19. The
study, which was published in the peer-reviewed PLoS One journal, hailed the
trial as ‘unprecedented’.

“Ayush-64 was proved
superior to the standard of care advocated by the Union Ministry of Health in
the treatment of Covid-19. The mindset that ayurvedic drugs are ineffective for
chronic disorders and acute infections is going to change,” says Dr Arvind
Chopra, national clinical coordinator of the project.

‘Ayush-64’ was developed
to meet therapeutic challenges which arose during the onset of the pandemic by
an Ayush Ministry-appointed interdisciplinary task force, headed by Professor
Bhushan Patwardhan. 

More than 64,000 participants
enrolled for the study, 96 per cent of whom recovered after being administered
‘Ayush-64’ for 20 days. No participants progressed to severe Covid-19 or
required intensive care.

“This is a
historical study which can serve as a role model for transdisciplinary research
integrating a standard of care (SoC) and Ayurveda,” said Dr Bhushan
Patwardhan.

Ayush-64 can be taken as
a standalone treatment in mild cases, whereas in mild-to-moderate cases, it
should be taken as an adjunct to SoC. Ayush-64 shall only be used as per the
advice of a qualified Ayush practitioner, Dr. Patwardhan said.