The Business Bytes
PRIYABRAT BISWAL
BHUBANESWAR, SEPT 16, 2021
Many patients with Vitiligo or Leucoderma are now turning towards ayurvedic remedies like Lukoskin, developed by government’s premier research agency Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO).
Till now, more than one lakh patients suffering from Vitiligo or white patches, have been treated with ‘Lukoskin’ with an average success rate of 70 per cent, said Dr Nitika Kohli from AIMIL Healthcare, which is manufacturing and marketing the drug.
An ayurveda expert herself, Dr. Kohli said that after DRDO transferred the technology, clinical trials were conducted on the patients before ‘Lukoskin’ was launched in the market in the year 2011.
“In these ten years, over one lakh patients have been treated with the drug. We found 70 percent success rate,” she said.
In fact, AIMIL is in the process of launching the advanced version of the drug. DRDO is already working in this direction.
Dr. Kohli was speaking at a conference “Clinical management of tough skin diseases” held virtually on Wednesday to mark the tenth anniversary of the launch of ‘Lukoskin’ as well as of AIMIL Healthcare.
Representatives and doctors from various medical streams including allopathy who participated in the programme, also highlighted the role of herbs in general and ‘Lukoskin’ in particular in the treatment of Leucoderma.
A formulation of seven herbs found in Himalayan region, Lukoskin was developed following many comprehensive research and clinical trials by scientists of the Defence Bio-Energy Research (DIBER) centre, an Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), at Haldwani, Uttarakhand. Comprising of an ointment and an oral liquid, patients use the drug for effective results.
The ointment has seven herbal ingredients having properties such as photosensitization, anti-blister, anti-irritation, anti-septic, wound healing properties, while the oral formulation is designed to improve the auto-immune system and supplement copper which checks the emergence of new spots, shared Dr. Kohli.
Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, a leading dermatologist pointed out that Vitiligo can cause disfiguration, impair the social function of the patients and induce physiological burdens.
Worldwide, the incidence of Leucoderma is 1-2 per cent of the population. It affects close to 2-5 percent of the population in India. Though this particular skin condition is not usually medically harmful, and is non-contagious, it can cause white spots or patches to appear on the skin. As Vitiligo affects a person’s appearance, the social stigma attached to the condition is so severe that it is believed to leave social and psychological scars on those suffering from it. In fact, in India people confuse Vitiligo with leprosy.
Hence, dermatologists should identify this condition carefully, especially humanistic factors in social life, and perform individualized “non-drug” treatment, suggested renowned ayurveda experts Dr. Surendra Chaudhary, Dr. Bhagwan Sahay and Dr. Prabhakar Rao who participated in the virtual conference.
