On the World Vitiligo Day on Tuesday, patients suffering with lucoderma in which skin develops white patches are finding remedy in herbal drug Lukoskin developed by the Scientists from DRDO's Pithoragarh lab Defence Institute of Bio-energy Research (DIBER).
Last month, Dr Hemant Pande, senior DRDO scientist who was part of the team that developed Lukoskin a few years ago won prestigious 'Science Award' on National Technology Day for developing Lukoskin.
Encouraged by the positive response of the Lukoskin which is presently being sold by Delhi-based AIMIL Pharma, the DRDO scientists are now working on a more effective and promising version of the ayurvedic drug which was launched in market a few years ago.
"The new version will be available within a year for the benefit of patients," said Dr Pande.
Pandey said in fact it was only after we got positive results for Lukoskin, we started working on its advanced version which is formulation of over 18 herbs and is more effective with results delivering in short duration treatment. The remedy has shown promising results in mice as well as in people, said Dr Pandey, who presently heads Herbal Medicine Division of DIBER.
He pointed out that while various remedies of vitiligo viz., allopathic, surgical and adjunctive were available, none of them were very effective or without side effects.
"Moreover, these are either costly or single molecule based, with very low level of efficacy and develop side-effects like blister, edema, irritation in the skin with the result most of the patients discontinue the treatment," said Pandey, a recipient of several prestigious awards for his contribution in herbal medicine field. In fact, in 2015, Lukoskin helped him bag Agri-Innovation Award.
"Hence, we focused on the causes of disease (aetiology) and researched out a comprehensive formulation for the management of leucoderma from Himalayan herbs by exhaustive scientific studies. We all know while allopathy masks the disease, ayurveda ensures rooting out the disease," said Dr Pandey.
Lukoskin is available in the form of ointment and oral liquid. The ointment has seven herbal ingredients having properties such as skin photo sensitizer, anti-blister, anti-irritation, anti-septic, wound healing and copper supplementing properties while the oral dose has been formulated to check the emergence of new spots, added Dr Nitika Kohli, an Ayurveda expert.
The world wide incidence of leucoderma has been reported 1-2 per cent. In India, its incidence is around 4-5 per cent in some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat it is very high more than 5-8 per cent.
A team of international dermatologists too after reviewing various studies said in their review 'Herbal Compounds for the Treatment of Vitiligo: A Review' published last year that some herbal compounds may be considered as valid therapeutic tools for the treatment of vitiligo.
Madhubala, Director, DIBER added that the lab has been encouraging scientifically validated herbal drugs to ensure their domestic as well as global acceptance.
