CCMB incubated start-up develops immune booster to fight Coronavirus
Chief Operating Officer of Clone Deals Private Limited Atik Patel (2L) taking CoronAid, an anti-viral and immunity booster against Covid-19 at a press conference in CCMB, Hyderabad. Photo: Ch Prabhu Das
Hyderabad: Clone Deals, a Hyderabad start-up incubated at Atal Incubation Centre- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (AIC-CCMB), on Thursday developed 'CoronAid' a mushroom-based food supplement 'CoronAid' that holds promise to boost immunity of individuals against Covid-19 disease. The first phase of the clinical trials of this drug is already over at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Bhopal. The experimental drug is expected to enter its next phase of trials in the coming days.
The food supplement is made from a mushroom, Cordycepsmilitaris that grows in the Himalayan region and is known for its immune-boosting and anti-oxidant components. They have collaborated with another Hyderabad-based company, Ambrosia Food Company, to develop a combination of the mushroom powder with curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric to make CoronAid Anti-Viral Immunity Booster Oral Suspension.
Cordycepin in the mushroom powder is known to prevent formation of new DNA and RNA strands. Clone Deals has collaborated with scientists from the CCMB to establish the potency of cordycepin in stopping the growth of the Covid-19-causing corona virus in a cell-culture system.
The studies show that cordycepin inhibits multiplication of corona virus. With the results of the clinical trials, the product is expected to be available from December in most cities and towns. The CoronAid, which will be available in the form a liquid, will be exclusively marketed by Nuzen Herbals in the coming days. The price of the food supplement is yet to be announced. "We hope that CoronaAid would be a New Year's gift to the world and add considerable protection against the virus," said Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director CCMB. "We have been providing support to researchers and startups who are working in the field of the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
Dr Madhusudhana Rao, CEO of AIC-CCMB, said that providing necessary facilities and scientific support to start-ups like Clone Deals is critical for validation of their technology and market-readiness.