The Central Council for Ayurveda (traditional Indian herbal medicine system) has developed an inexpensive and safe herbal remedy for epilepsy.

The medicine, known as Ayush-56, is available in tablet form.

The manufacturing process consists of extracting the active ingredients from herbs, using water or organic solvents, and evaporating them into solids. These are then powered and mixed with binders such as gum Acacia and preservatives such as sodium benzoate.

The mixture is made into a paste with distilled water, granulated, dried and then fed into a tabletting machine to get tablets.

Extensive clinical tests have shown that the new drug has no physical or psychological side-effects.

Anti-epilepsy drugs available at present are mostly expensive synthetic sedatives that are sometimes toxic and cause side-effects.

Equipment needed to produce Ayush-56 include pulveriser, solvent extraction unit, evaporating pan, mixing machine, hot air oven, granulator and tabletting machine.

A plant producing 40 kgs per day would require an estimated investment of USD 312,000.

Established in 1953, the company has 150 employees. Terms of technology transfer will be discussed with interested parties.

Source: National Research Development Corporation