De La Salle University-Dasmariñas researchers have discovered a concoction for a cure against dengue.
Team leader Dr. Rita Grace Alvero, a pharmacologist-epidemiologist from DLSU-Dasmariñas' Medical and Health Sciences Institute has begun the first Phase of clinical trials on the cocktail of three endemic plants. She presented that the team is determined to "pursue the full drug development process to make the breakthrough drug to help cure and stop deaths from dengue."
"It will be ready by end of 2020. That's next year," Alvero said.
The active ingredient for the drug was isolated from three herbal plants in the Philippines.
"They are endemic in the Philippines, not at all endangered," Alvero told The STAR. "It's an anti-viral."
The teacher-scientist team from DLSU-Dasmariñas led the research and development of herbal medicine. These teachers have founded a health start-up firm named Pharmalytics Corp.
Dengue patients have greatly improved based on the initial efficacy tests. Patients with very low platelet count have recovered, according to Alvero.
"We've done the pre-formulation tests, we've done animal studies, we've tested for efficacy. We've done the capsule, we've documented the efficacy results," Alvero said.
"We've demonstrated in humans already, in pilot cases, that it attenuates the clinical signs of the disease," Alvero said.
"There was dramatic recovery. It was given to patients with very, very low platelet counts who are bleeding already. It reversed (the progression of the disease), and improved the well-being (of the patient)," Alvero said.
The DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development strongly supports Alvero's efforts on developing the drug against dengue.
DOST-PCHRD had provided seed money to DLSU-Pharmalytics in developing the potential cure for dengue.
Dengue has claimed the lives of many Filipinos and needs an urgent cure to fight it.
