With a Siddha 'add-on' therapy to allopathic treatment at a government COVID-19 care centre here giving encouraging results, the Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) will soon commence a study on 60 coronavirus patients at Vysarpadi in the city.
The new clinical trial aims to bring out the efficacy of the Siddha group of medicines and 'Kabasura kudineer' as prophylactic designed to treat or prevent COVID-19.
The add-on therapy was earlier attempted at the COVID-19 care centre at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.
Kabasura kudineer is a herbal concoction, comprising dry ingredients of ginger, pippali, clove, cirukancori root and many other herbs.
"We are awaiting the number from the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) to begin the trial next week," Dr K Kanakavalli, director general of CCRS, said.
CCRS is the apex body pertaining to research in Siddha system of medicine.
It works towards the scientific validation of Siddha system of medicine through clinical research, drug research, medicinal plants research, fundamental research, literary research and documentation.
The new study is in sync with the directive issued by the Union Ayush Ministry and with the consent from the Tamil Nadu government.
"About 60 asymptomatic, mild and moderate coronavirus positive patients would be taken up for study at the COVID-19 Care Centre established by Greater Chennai Corporation at Vysarpadi," she told PTI on Monday.
"Siddha, which was recently tried at Stanley GH as add-on therapy on 30 positive patients, proved successful and based on the outcome we have decided to take up the new study," she said.
Earlier, the Siddha Central Research Institute (SCRI) here conducted a prophylactic study on 15,000 mild or moderate coronavirus patients and those who were asymptomatic.
Similar study is on at the SCRI units at Bengaluru, Delhi, Tirupati, Palayamkottai and Puducherry. These studies are aimed at evaluating Kabasura kudineer as drug of choice. Recently, a retrospective study on the herbal concoction and group of Siddha medicines was conducted in Coimbatore.