Anti-Influenza Herb Found in Thailand

Anti-influenza herb found in Thailand

BANGKOK, July 19 (Xinhua) — A local herb highly effective against human influenza has been found in Thailand and could be a cheaper alternative to imported drugs, a senior health official has said.

A new medicine called Phyto-1, whose substance was extracted from a local wild plant, has been successfully developed by researchers to cure human influenza, Medical Sciences Department chief Paichit Warachit was quoted by Bangkok Post newspaper as saying Tuesday.

After the first phase of clinical experiment displayed promising results, the department registered Phyto-1 as a patented traditional medicine.

A dose of 5 mg per 5 ml of the herbal medical could reduce 93 percent of influenza virus in experimental animals without any side effect. A group of 100 volunteers participating in the first- phase also developed immunity.

“It could be a good alternative to modern anti-viral medicines which could cause drug-resistance symptoms in the long run,” said Paichit.

The medical breakthrough comes amid fears that the country might not be ready for a global flu pandemic since it lacks sufficient medical resources, particularly life-saving drugs like the expensive Tamiflu.

The herbal medicine will be studied further in the second phase of the trials, which will involve 400-500 human volunteers and last about two years, said Paichit, adding the new medicine could help Thailand save about 1 billion baht (23.8 million US dollars) spent annually on imported brand-name influenza drugs.