Drug from Philippine plants to treat dengue fever

Drug from Philippine plants to treat dengue fever

Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) – April 6, 2019 – 12:00

MANILA, Philippines – A team of researchers from the Institute of Medical Sciences and Health at De La Salle Dasmariñas University, led by a pharmacologist-epidemiologist, Dr. Rita Grace Alvero, has launched Phase 1 clinical trials on a herbal medicine that can treat dengue.

The medicine they formulated from a cocktail of three endemic plants has proven effective in treating dengue fever.

Alvero, one of the presenters at the 2019 National Conference on Research and Development organized by the Department of Science and Technology last Wednesday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, said determined to continue the process of full drug development. make the revolutionary drug to help cure and stop dengue deaths.

"It will be ready by the end of 2020. It's next year," said Alvero.

Alvero said the secret ingredient of the potential dengue drug had been taken from three medicinal plants found in the country.

"They are endemic in the Philippines, not at all threatened," Alvero told The STAR. "It's an antiviral."

Research and development on the potential treatment of dengue fever is a project of the research team led by Alvero, who teaches at DLSU-Dasmariñas and created a health and spin-off company, Pharmalytics Corp.

Alvero said that animal studies and initial efficacy tests have shown "dramatic" recovery of dengue patients, even those with more severe cases with very low platelet counts.

"We did the pre-formulation tests, we did animal studies, and we tested their effectiveness. We finished the capsule, we documented the results of effectiveness, "said Alvero.

"We have already demonstrated in humans, in pilot cases, that it alleviates the clinical signs of the disease," said Alvero.

"There has been a dramatic recovery. It was administered to patients with very very low platelet counts who were already bleeding. This reversed (the progression of the disease) and improved the well-being (of the patient), "said Alvero.

Jaime Montoya, executive director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, said the agency was supporting Alvero's drug development efforts.

DOST-PCHRD had provided an initial financial grant to the DLSU-Pharmalytics program to develop a potential treatment for dengue fever.

Dengue fever has proven to be a persistent killer disease in the country, with thousands hospitalized each year.