Homeopathy industry seeks statutory body for clinical trials

Homeopathic pharma market in India is around Rs 5,000 cr with over 250,000 practising doctors

This article has been modified. Please see the clarification at the end.

In a bid to promote research and innovation of drugs, the homeopathy industry now seeks an independent statutory body that would have sufficient jurisdiction to sanction new clinical trials.

According to Rajesh Shah, director of Global Homeopathy Foundation, while the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is supposed to look after homeopathic medicines too, there is no clarity or no clear mechanism that would approve a new drug discovery. "There is also no adequate infrastructure in the country at the moment that would encourage and support homeopathic research. As a result, not many new homeopathic medicines have been discovered in the last century," he claimed.

Shah also added that patents are granted for newer forms of homeopathic medicines in countries like US, Australia and the EU.

The Homeopathy India Foundation (HIF) feels that an independent statutory body should come up under the ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) that would be able to provide guidelines for clinical research to develop new drugs in homeopathy.

The HIF plans to meet Shripad Y Naik, minister of state (independent charge) and submit the recommendations and the requirements of the homeopathic industry in the country. While a total budget of Rs 70 crore is sanctioned to the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), an autonomous organisation under Ayush ministry, according to sources, the total funds are not utilised often. "Around Rs 15 crore of funds remained unutilised last year. This is because there is not enough sensitisation among scientists from various disciplines to work on homeopathic medicines," said a source in CCRH.

Primarily a research body, CCRH has a multi-dimensional approach to research and its research activities include 'Survey, collection and cultivation of medicinal plants', 'Drug standardisation', 'Drug proving', 'Clinical verification' and 'Clinical research'. Besides, CCRH also collaborates with other research bodies for researches.

The size of the homeopathic pharma market is around Rs 5,000 crore with over 250,000 practising homeopath doctors in the country.

CLARIFICATION
In an earlier version, Global Homeopathy Foundation was wrongly mentioned as Homeopathy India Foundation. The error is regretted.