Nisarga Biotech Pvt Ltd, which offers 40 natural therapeutic products for chronic diseases, recently launched Nisarga Neem Capsules that has proven to be an effective preventive remedy for Covid-19 after its recently concluded clinical trials in April 2021. BusinessLine caught up with the Satara, Maharashtra headquartered company’s founder and CEO Girish Soman, to find out more. Excerpts:

What led to the creation of Nisarga’s neem capsules as a prophylactic for Covid-19?

Nisarga’s clinical trial was based on its patent-pending neem leaf extract, well researched for six years in pre-clinical studies with a reputed research institute in the US and toxicity studies completed as per the USFDA norms. Neem has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory, antibacterial/antiviral and antioxidant effects in our research as well as previously conducted anti-docking studies making it a potential preventive for Covid-19. Taking this into account, as well as the traditional use of neem in Ayurveda as an antiviral and blood purifying agent, gave us the confidence that Neem would have the required compounds to boost immunity and reduce viral uptake and replication in the body.

Over what period were the clinical trials conducted?

The clinical trials were initiated in August 2020 in collaboration with All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi and ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad. It took a month for preliminary evaluation and then dosing was done in September first week. After 28 days of dosing till end of September, there was one month of follow-up till the end of October for side-effects as well as quality of life assessment, which went smoothly. After that, final clinical evaluations took two months to complete. The trial was completed in 5 months.

What’s the efficacy rate of the neem capsules and who has certified it?

The statistical efficacy of the trial against the control group proved the product to be 55 per cent effective in Covid-19 prevention. In the group that was taking our medication, only 4.3 per cent (3 subjects) tested positive for Covid-19. The trial has been peer reviewed and accepted by the Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine in USA and is Indexed on US government website PubMed as valid authentic original research. The trial is also registered with CTRI (Clinical Trial Registry of India).

What is the recommended dosage of Nisarga neem capsules and where is it available?

Nisarga’s Neem capsule is available on our website www.nisargaherbs.com and on Amazon.in, Qtrove, 1mg, Netmeds.com. The dosage is 1 capsule (450mg) twice daily with water after meals or as directed by a physician. Our neem formulation is a great alternative for prevention of Covid-19 till the vaccines are widely and easily available in the country. One month’s supply of neem capsules costs ₹450.

How many products do you sell under Nisarga Herbs?

Nisarga Herbs has a total of 40 products in the market. Our target market is the educated consumer of the country who is aware of supplementation and preventive medication in large as well as small cities. Nisarga Herbs is a systemic medicine platform where we have medicines/supplements for different systems.