A top AYUSH official in Uttarakhand told that Patanjali’s Coronil can only be sold as a supplement to protect against Covid-19, such as vitamin C, zinc and other multivitamin tablets.
Patanjali Ayurveda had last Friday re-stating its Coronil tablet launch has been upgraded as had the Narendra Modi government on behalf of the cure ‘assistant’ to Covid -19. The drug was earlier approved as an ‘immunity booster’.
Ramdev, the founder of Patanjali Ayurved, also claimed that it is the ‘first evidence-based medicine of Covid-19’.
Director of State Licensing Authority (SLA) in Uttarakhand, Dr. Y.S. Rawat clarified on Tuesday that this drug has been classified as an ‘adjunctive measure and it cannot be used as a cure.
He said, ‘It can be used as an adjunctive drug in overall treatment such as vitamin C, zinc and multivitamin drugs. Coronil cannot be used as a primary drug in the treatment of Covid-19.
SLAs located in every state under the Ministry of AYUSH are responsible for manufacturing and sale of products in their respective states.
Rawat’s claims are important because the headquarters of Patanjali Ayurved is located in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. He further said that the company has been told ‘strictly’ not to claim Coronil as a ‘cure’ of Covid-19.
Ayush wrote a letter on coronil
In a letter written to Rawat by the Union Ministry of AYUSH, it has been asked to classify it as an supporting treatment from an immunity booster. But it is also clear in the letter that this product cannot be promoted as a ‘cure’.
The letter written by the ministry on 14 January stated, “The state licensing authority may consider the company’s application regarding the use of Coronil pills as a supportive measure without claiming to have treated Covid-19. .
Rawat said that Patanjali Ayurved will be monitored to ensure that it does not promote coronil as a treatment for Covid-19. He said, ‘We will keep checking whether the company is promoting it as a medicine. However, we have not received any complaint till now.
However, this is not the first time that yoga guru Ramdev is in the grip of controversies regarding the ‘cure of Covid’. In June last year, Ramdev launched the Covid Kit — a pack containing three products, including tablets of the name Coronil and described it as a ‘cure’ for Novel Coronovirus, which still has no known cure.
Approved drug despite concerns?
A letter from the Ministry of AYUSH shows that questions were raised about Coronil on behalf of the committee approving Patanjali’s proposal.
According to a letter written by Dr. Chinta Srinivas, Deputy Advisor in the Ministry of AYUSH, the application on behalf of Patanjali was titled ‘Medication of Covid-19 from AYUSH License Immunity Booster for Coronil Tablets’.
On this proposal of the company, Dr. S.K., a former professor in the Pharmacology Department of AIIMS The Interdisciplinary Review Committee, headed by Moolik, took note on 17 and 18 December.
According to the letter, the committee had raised two points — one being ‘only placebo administration (use of dummy pill without medical effect) in a group without standard care’ and the other was the lack of data based on age and comorbidities. ‘
According to the letter, the committee said that ‘only placebo administration (without standard care) would pose ethical concerns and group-wise analysis has not been provided.’
However, the committee approved the drug.
