| The drug, presently in third stage clinical trial (with 200 patients being tested), is made of herbal ingredients, said Dr S K Mitra, executive director, research and technical services, Himalaya Drugs. |
| Along with the psychiatric drug, the company is also finalising an over-the-counter skin care lotion and a range of prescription drugs for oral infections, he added. |
| The company, in 2005, launched two products, an over-the-counter hair loss cream and PartySmart, a cure for hangover. |
| Himalaya Drugs is also active in the animal healthcare business through its feed supplements. For the poultry industry, the company has come out with an egg yield and nutritive value enhancement product. For the dairy sector, it has come out with a product for higher milk yield combined with enhancement of protein content. |
| The company is building its export manufacturing plant at Bidadi, near Bangalore. The plant will comply with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EU norms and will cater to 60 countries to which it exports. |
| On the ayurvedic drugs getting banned in some western countries, Dr Mitra said that the chief reason was the lack of standards. "These ayurvedic herbo-metal preparations need evidence-based studies before being cleared by the regulatory agencies." |
| The rising cost of chemical-based drugs in the West is forcing patients to look for alternate cures and recourse to ayurvedic drugs. To cater to the segment, a few companies and the Indian government have begun to promote good laboratory practice. |
| To take care of its human resources, Himalaya Drugs has begun to network colleges and has tied up with 80 colleges across the country. "As part of the industry-academia linkages, the company is working with the Rajiv Gandhi Medical University and has plans to enter into a similar tieup with the University of Pune and Anna University in Chennai," said Dr Mitra. |
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