Patanjali’s Covid ‘cure’ attracts ad ban

Ramdev claims 100% recovery; tests done to cure mild infection

Patanjali Ayurved, the yoga guru Baba Ramdev owned company, on Tuesday attempted to get the medical world to perform a Shirasasana of sorts — the yoga exercise in which a person stands down on her hands — that would have turned every experimental protocol to treat Covid-19 on its head. It announced that it was ready to launch its Ayurvedic formulations, Cornonil, and Swasari tablets, that during ‘clinical trials’ had cured 100 per cent of Covid-19 patients.

Soon after Patanjali’s claim that nearly bordered on pharmaceutical wizardry, the Ayush ministry that oversees Ayurveda and its practice in the country, said the products are classified as magic remedies and slapped the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.

It also imposed an immediate ban on advertising of Pantanajli’s ‘cures’ for Covid-19. Just a few days ago, the ICMR had advised that doctors treating Covid19 patients to not encourage discussions on alternate medicine systems as possible cures or relief providers from the disease symptoms.

Ramdev had claimed at a press conference in Haridwar that his company’s new medicines will cure Covid19 in seven days. He had said that trials conducted on 100 patients at different medical facilities showed that they were all cured within a week of administering of the medicines. However, all the patients either had very mild to mild symptoms and none who took part in the ‘trials’ were in the ‘serious patients’ category.

The yoga guru’s company, had a few days ago said that it was preparing to make a major announcement with respect to Covid-19 treatment. On Tuesday, Patanjali said its Coronavirus kit, to be made available across the country within a week, would cost a mere `545 for a 30-day treatment course.

Agency reports quoting Ramdev from Haridwar said as per the yoga guru, the formulations were developed by Patanjali Research Centre, Haridwar, and the privately-owned National Institute of Medical Science, Jaipur. “Patanjali first conducted clinical case study and conducted clinical control trials following all protocols of drug discovery,” Ramdev was quoted as saying.

Trials, after receiving approvals from the Clinical Trial Registry of India, were conducted in several cities including Delhi.

A randomised clinical trial controlled with a placebo was conducted at National Institute of Medical Sciences & Research.

But the Ayush ministry, in a statement on Tuesday, said that it was not aware of “facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study.”

It also asked Patanjali to provide at the ‘earliest’ details of the composition of the medicines, of the trials, and required official clearances.

The yoga guru’s company, in a deft move, on Tuesday evening, sent a detailed reply to the Ayush ministry responding the queries raised by the Central government, saying that it was doing so as asked, “at the earliest.”

It is expected that the ministry will respond to Patanjali’s response in a day or two.