IMA Pulls up Health Min for ‘Promoting’ Coronil; Patanjali Defends
The QuintPatanjali describing Coronil as the ‘first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19' could be grossly misinterpreted. The label on the Coronil Tablet bottle clearly states: ‘Now approved as the Supporting Measure in COVID-19 by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.’ According to ThePrint, a letter issued to Patanjali by the Ministry of AYUSH from 7 January noted, “Committee appraised and observed that the core ingredients like Tulsi, Ashwagandha are included in the National Clinical Protocol for Covid-19 and also based on the rational and inference of their presentation, it is suggested that it may be used as supporting measure in Covid-19.” “The letter is genuine but we have strictly told the company to not promote the medicine as ‘cure’ but only as ‘supportive’ treatment,” a senior official told ThePrint In conversation with FIT, Ajay, a representative at Patanjali Yogpeeth said, "Ayush ministry had previously approved Coronil as a booster drug but now it can be used as a supplement for treatment against COVID-19 along with other medications. It completely works, we have had good results and have reports to prove it.” Last year, the tablet was recognised as an ‘immunity booster’ by the AYUSH ministry after the company received massive criticism for advertising it as a COVID cure without sufficient evidence.