As part of the on-going
efforts to arrive at possible solutions for Coronavirus disease, the Indian
AYUSH ministry has approved a proposal for a clinical study to assess the role
of Vasa Ghana, Guduchi Ghana and Vasa-Guduchi Ghana in therapeutic
management of symptoms in Covid-19 positive cases.

This will be a “randomized, open label three armed” study,
and will be conducted at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi,
in collaboration with the IGIB unit of CSIR.

“The detailed proposal with methodology including outcome
measures, clinical and laboratory parameters, the logistics of the research has
been prepared. The study will use a unique Case Report Forum (CRF), suitable
for Ayush mode research. The CRF and study protocol has also been peer reviewed
by experts from different domains including modern medicine and their
suggestions have been incorporated. The study will be undertaken subject to the
required approvals like that of the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC),” the
ministry said in a statement.

The clinical research would look into the efficacy/action of
mono-herbal formulations of whole extracts of Vasa (Adhatoda vasica Linn) and Guduchi
(Tinospora cordifolia) respectively, and polyherbal formulation of Vasa-Guduchi whole extract on
therapeutic management of SARS-CoV2 positive asymptomatic and/ or mild Covid-19
symptomatic cases. The impact of the said formulations on the speed of viral
replication will be assessed. It would also ascertain whether the said
mono-herbal and polyherbal formulations can alter the expression profiles of
key bio markers associated with Covid-19 disease.

Vasa and Guduchi are time tested herbs in Indian healthcare traditions, used
in a variety of disease conditions. The outcome of this study would therefore
be of considerable interest to the entire Ayush Sector.