Experts eye cheap cancer cure

Hyderabad: Affordable cancer treatment is the need of the hour stated scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology who are working with Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathy systems of AYUSH to integrate the treatment options.

With rising cancer cases and the increasing time taken for drug discovery, it is becoming important that all forms of medicines are looked into and scientifically validated in the interest of patients.

Dr S. Chandrasekhar, director CSIR-IICT, said, “We have found anti-cancer properties in nembolide, which is extracted from the neem plant. After structural tweaking of it there is a new chemical entity which is showing positive results in treatment of renal cancer.”

Similarly, there has been a breakthrough in a chemical compound for Alzheimer’s disease, which is going to be tested at the human level for its efficacy.

With an integrated process being set up by the central government, scientists are now looking at data collected from Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathy doctors for cancer treatment.

With the Ayurvedic system claiming that they will have a definite treatment module in the next one year, scientists are looking at re-validating a system, which has been tried on humans. But there is no clinical data of its effects on animals like monkeys and mice.

Dr Chandrashekar said, “The wide acceptance of the system has made it very important to have scientific validation for the same. What is the basis of the formulations? How are they derived? How is it targeted? These require proper scientific understanding.”

With immuno-therapy, targeted therapy and also other forms of treatment gaining importance in dealing with cancer, experts are looking closely into the Indian system to find out if these same methods are applied here too.

At the same time, the increasing costs of medicines have become a cause of concern and if “relief” can provided to patients through an alternative therapy, it must be looked into.

Doctors complain about combinations
Intermediary chemical compounds required for drug formulations in allopathic medicines are imported from China and Korea. The effectiveness of these are questionable.

City oncologists have complained about chemical combinations that have been used in cancer medicines as their effectiveness and potency is diluted, raising concerns about these medicines.

Dr Ahmed Kamal, senior scientist and project director at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research said, “Earlier the intermediates were made by public sector undertakings, but now we are again reviving the process where the key starting materials of life saving drugs will be made in the country.” The scientists have come together and prepared a chemical compound — hydrazine hydrate — which is used in pesticides and rocket fuel.

This chemical till now was imported for Rs 600 per kilo. It has now been indigenously formulated for Rs 170. Scientists are confident that if more intermediates and key starting elements are formulated the Indian drug industry can source it from within the country and have to depend on global markets.