Back to the Roots

According to world health organization (WHO) report, 70 % of the global population still relies on traditional medicines based on herbal products for their wellbeing and primary healthcare particularly in 3rd world and emerging economy. Prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated the use of traditional medicines over the past 1 year and vindicated the confidence the mankind has on its traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines in their own dominant society. Even WHO as part of its global healthcare strategy (Traditional complementary medicine strategy 2014-2023) has a roadmap of integrating these traditional medicines as part of universal health coverage.Market survey reports have shown that big Ayurvedic companies in India have boosted their sales by over 400 % over the last year, Similar trend was observed in China wherein their local traditional medicines sales have spiked over the last year. The rise of startups in traditional medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic is another indicator of opportunity that exist in these complementary medicine space, which was predominantly dominated by allopathic medicines. In the early days of pandemic, Chinese authority had administered traditional Chinese medicines to 90 % of patients in hospitals undergoing Covid-19 treatment to build immunity among the patients as there was no clear-cut clinical protocols during the early days. It was proposed to be an alternative to boost immunity to self-fight the covid virus, Taking the cue even Govt of India initiated various local programs & protocols asking the citizens to pursue various ayurvedic formulations and household remedies to improve immunity. Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the global adoption of traditional medicines and very soon will also seen as an acceptance as mainstream medicines. Advisory by WHO to pursue these traditional medicines along with conventional medicines has ensured that global demand for such medicines will only grow from here. An interesting perspective from millennials where the consumption of such traditional medicines was more focused towards skincare and beauty, but today the herbal drugs opportunity has gone beyond skincare and beauty towards immunity and basic wellness.

As the adage, ‘With bigger power comes bigger responsibility’; So is true with bigger opportunity comes bigger responsibility. There is big onus on the traditional medicines industry to adopt proper regulations and enforce all modern analytical and clinical techniques to validate these medicines with scientific rigor and research methodology to help build trust and confidence that these medicines are not only safe and effective but also without any side effects. Routine pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacovigilance studies of every herbal Ayurveda formulation will not only ensure its global acceptance amidst regulation but will confirm with evidence that these traditional medicines resulted in well being not just based on the aspect of faith, but with full scientific proof.
There are more than 120 distinct phytochemicals from 1100 different herbal plants used in traditional medicines. As these plants grow in different geographical region the soil content especially with varying nutrients, heavy metals and various pesticides that’s used for cultivation varies significantly. For eg; Alpinia galangal (type of ginger) grown in different part of the country can have different concentration of heavy metal as well pesticide residues, Thus it becomes imperative that the plant and its extract be analyzed for heavy metals, pesticides and various type of aflatoxins to ensure good and consistent quality which would result in better efficacy of finished herbal drug. Analytical instruments like Pinnacle AAS, or Nexion ICPMS are extensively used by drug manufacturer to test for heavy metals in raw plants as well as finished herbal drug. In order to validate the presence of pesticides with extreme low level of detection, as these pesticides are highly carcinogenic, Qsight LCMS and Clarus GCMS are used by different drug manufacturers to detect these in the herbal drugs. Such detailed scientific analysis by drug manufacturer will not only validate the safety and quality of these finished herbal drugs but will ensure they pass the stringent regulations and norms setup by different regulatory bodies to ensure consistent and quality drugs. The government will also have to play a special role in incentivizing farmers to grows such herbal plants to ensure uniform raw material supply chain and thereby ensuring no adulteration can creep into the process.  Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the spurt of conventional allopathic medicines along with the thrust for finding novel vaccines, but it has paved a way for traditional ayurvedic/Chinese medicines to find new roots and look for bigger share in healthcare market. We have to realize once traditional medicines and gets world-wide acceptance, Its not to compete with conventional allopathic medicines but to complement in ensuring good health and total wellbeing.