NARI, Pune: Efficacy trials of new AIDS drug

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Could anyone from NARI, PGIMER, Chandigarh and Kolkata, AIIMS, Delhi, KEM,

Mumbai and IRR, Mumbai and Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO),

Delhi update us about the progress of their efficacy trial of the drug 'Prneem'?

When are they likely to conclude the study and publish the results? [Moderator]

Efficacy trials of new AIDS drug, 'Praneem' progressing

DH News Service, JAIPUR, Feb 6

Praneem, the new drug that promises to inhibit the growth of AIDS and

also holds the distinction of being India's first attempt at a

scientific drug for the deadly disease, is undergoing trials at the

National AIDS Research Institute, Pune.

Dr Gursaran Pran Talwar, founder director of the National Institute

of Immunology in Delhi and the brain behind Praneem today said that

the drug was being tested at NARI, Pune under a grant sanctioned by

the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to the Talwar Research

Foundation, Delhi. He said the trials have indicated an inhibitory

effect on the replication of HIV (human immuno-deficiency virus), the

virus responsible for AIDS.

Winner of many prestigious awards like the Padmabhushan and Officier

de la Legion d' honneur Professor G P Talwar, director of Talwar

Research Foundation was delivering a keynote address on " current and

approved envisaged trials on Praneem vaginal tablets for cure of

reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and for prevention of

transmission of HIV and HPV " at the national conference on Recent

Advances in Reproductive Health, organised by the Department of

Zoology, University of Rajasthan here today.

Dr Talwar said the drug's efficacy in treating reproductive tract

infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has

already been proved in phase I safety clinical trials at the Post

Graduate Institute of Education and Research, Chandigarh, Safdarjung

Hospital, New Delhi and Kamla Nehru Hospital ,Allahabad. Phase II

efficacy trials in women with RTIs have also indicated positive

results with Praneem Polyherbal tablet, he added.

Being cytotoxic to virus infected cells and having the potential to

inhibit further transmission of the virus, it's now being tested for

AIDS, Dr Talwar said while delivering his keynote address at the

inaugural day of the three-day national conference on recent advances

in reproductive health. Praneem Polyherbal has dual properties, that

of killing sperm, contraception, killing of genital pathogens as well

as cure of RTIs and prevention of STDs, he added.

Available in the form of a cream, pessary and tablet is formulated

from purified Neem, Reetha, Mentha Citrata oil. Changes have also

been made following suggestions of users during trials to make it

purified, odourless and colourless. Praneem tablets have been

improved by introducing small size, properties for ready dispersion,

no foaming and better spreading. Dr Talwar hopes Praneem would

be " highly effective " in inhibiting the transmission of HIV.

Apart from the Phase II clinical trails on Praneem at the National

AIDS Research Institute, Pune where trials will be performed both on

monogamous women and high risk sex workers, multi-centre efficiency

trials on Praneem tablets were also on at ix prestigious institutes

in the country, he remarked. These trials are being conducted at the

PGIMER, Chandigarh and Kolkata, AIIMS, Delhi, KEM, Mumbai and Pune

and IRR, Mumbai. Besides, a pilot study is to be undertaken at the

Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), Delhi on HPV,

he added.

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