COVID-19: Govt to conduct randomised controlled clinical trial of ashwagandha

The government will conduct a randomised controlled clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ayurvedic drug ashwagandha as a preventive intervention among healthcare professionals and high-risk COVID-19 population in comparison with hydroxychloroquine.

This will be a joint initiative of the ministries of AYUSH, health, and science and technology through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with technical support from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Thursday.

Simultaneously, the efficacy of ayurvedic drugs yashtimadhu, combination of Guduchi and Pippali and a poly-herbal formulation (AYUSH-64) along with ashwagandha will also be evaluated as a prophylaxis and add on to standard care in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients, Secretary in the Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha said.

"These randomised controlled clinical trials will help us assess the benefit of these ayurvedic drugs as a preventive ...