Govt confirms Patanjali can sell its drug but not as `cure’ to COVID-19

PTI, Jul 1, 2020, 4:59 PM IST

Haridwar/New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved on Wednesday, July 1 said there are no AYUSH Ministry restrictions on selling Coronil, a drug the company recently launched as medicine for COVID-19 but is now calling it a product to “manage” the disease.

The Union ministry confirmed that Patanjali can sell the product but not as a cure for COVID-19.

“AYUSH Ministry has only given permission to sell this particular formulation as an immunity booster and not as a medicinal cure for COVID-19,” it said.

At a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev claimed the ministry has said that Patanjali did an “an appropriate job for COVID-19 management”.

“I want to tell people who want to try these medicines that there is no restriction on their sale now and they will be available in a kit everywhere in the country from today,” he added, referring to Coronil and the two other products Patanjali is promoting together.

Ramdev said the Union ministry had asked him to use the term “COVID management” in place of “COVID treatment” and he is following the instruction.

Even while backtracking on the describing Coronil as “treatment” for COVID-19, the company stuck to its claim that the drug’s trial on mild to moderately ill patients was successful.

Its press note said the trial, conducted after the necessary approvals, showed 100 percent recovery of patients within seven days.

It said the AYUSH Ministry has “categorically agreed” that Patanjali had “appropriately worked on COVID-19 management”.

“Now there is no difference of opinion between AYUSH Ministry and Patanjali,” it added.

“As per the ministry, Patanjali is allowed to manufacture and distribute its Diva Coronil tablet, Divya Swasari Vati, and Divya Anu Talia across India, as per the manufacturing licenses granted by State Licensing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani Services, Govt of Uttarakhand,” it said.

The Uttarakhand department was among the agencies which had questioned Patanjali’s claim to have developed a drug to cure COVID-19. It said the company had only been given a license to manufacture an immunity booster.