Abstract

Asian Health Systems offer a huge potential for the discovery of natural drugs.  Ayurveda, used by more than 80% of Indians, needs ‘a bedside to bench’ R&D approach. Widely used therapies for common diseases can be revived systematically by Ayurvedic Pharmacoepidemiology (AyPE) and Observational Therapeutics (OT) 1, 2. Remedies and modalities currently not in common practice but described in classical texts/clinical notes, need to be renewed by the approach of a documented reversal of Ayurvedic pathogenesis, with validated clinical/laboratory markers and designs of n=1 studies and sequential trials. Drugs in practice may be repurposed as convenient/novel dosage forms for new indications. A renaissance in therapeutics can be ushered in by trans-disciplines of Reverse Pharmacology (RP) and Translational Research (TR) 3,4 There is an urgent need to train more Vaidya-Scientists, to create Centres of Excellence in AyPE, OT, RP, TR and to provide  adequate infrastructure with resources. The hints, hits, leads and candidates from Ayurveda therapeutics do exist as naturals for cancer, diabetes, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders and hepatitis5, 6, 7.

1. Vaidya RA et al.. JAPI.  2003;51:528.                                            

2. Vaidya Rama, JAIM, 2011; 2:165.                                                                 

3. Vaidya AB, Ind J Pharmacol.2006;38:311. 

4. Patwardhan, R. Mashelkar, Drug Disc. Today, 2009; 14: 804.  

5. Vaidya, A. D., JAIM. 2010: 1, 6.       

6. Vaidya, A. D. B., Ayurveda in Transition, AVS, Kottakal, 2010, pp. 27–38. 

7. Raut A et al.  Current Science, 2016; 111:337.