Dengue breakthrough: Bengaluru-based lab develops botanical pill

Zee Media Bureau

Bengaluru: At present, there is no specific approved vaccine or therapy to prevent dengue fever. But now a Bengaluru-based lab has come up with a tablet to treat the dreaded vector-borne disease.

Bengaluru-based Micro Labs Ltd has recently launched a botanical pill 'Caripill' that helps to increase the platelet count in dengue patients.

The drug, which has been approved by the scientific and regulatory authority, is made from Carica Papaya leaf extract and reportedly does not have any side-effects. The pill has been proven to be safe and effective in about one lakh patients across the country.

The lab claims that the drug, which underwent clinical trials on 250 patients, has shown positive results with a dramatic decrease in the haemorrhage condition. Besides, none of the patients had to undergo blood transfusion so far.

It is believed that Caripill is the first drug to be backed by adequate scientific data to increase the platelet count in dengue cases.

Since the pill has shown its immense potential in treating dengue, the lab is confident that it can be administered on patients with other life-threatening diseases, like leukaemia among others, which requires intense chemotherapy leading to loss of platelets.

Caripill, which has been made available in all major pharmacies across India, costs Rs 25 per tablet with the dosage of administering one pill (1100 mg) three times a day, for five days.

The national capital of Delhi is grappling with its worst dengue outbreak in five years with the disease claiming 12 lives in the city this year so far. As of September 12, a total of 1,872 patients have tested positive for the vector borne disease in Delhi.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), dengue is emerging as a serious public health problem globally, with 2.5 billion people at risk and 50 million dengue infections occurring annually.