Scientists at Lucknow-based Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI) claim to have developed a medicine to treat dengue, Hindustan Times' sister publication Livehindustan has reported. According to the report, a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical major has received permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct human testing of the drug.
Trials will be conducted in 20 cities across the country.
Here's all you need to know:
(1.) Derived from plants, the medicine, called AQCH, is anti-viral in nature. It was tested successfully in labs and on mice.
(2.) Trials will be conducted at one medical college in each of the following cities: Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Belgaum, Chennai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Visakahapatnam, Cuttack, Khurda and Nathdwara.
(3.) Kanpur's Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, Lucknow's King George's Medical University (KGMU) and Agra-based Sarojini Naidu (SN) Medical College will host the exercise in Uttar Pradesh. At each centre, a total of 100 patients will receive this treatment.
(4.) A dengue patient should be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for trials. Additionally, infection in the patient should have been confirmed 48 hours before the testing.
(5.) The patient will be kept in hospital for eight days, during which he will be administered the drug for seven days. He will be kept under observation for 17 days after being given the medicine.
{{/usCountry}}(5.) The patient will be kept in hospital for eight days, during which he will be administered the drug for seven days. He will be kept under observation for 17 days after being given the medicine.
{{/usCountry}}(6.) It is pertinent to note that there is no specific medicine for the treatment of dengue. Patients are treated on the basis of symptoms.