Patanjali's Coronil tablets found on sale in London shops without MHRA's nod

"A lab test of the drug carried out by Birmingham University showed the pills contained plant-based ingredients which cannot protect against Covid-19," said a report.

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London: Patanjali's Coronil tablets that were initially launched as the cure to COVID-19 virus, but were later said to be the 'immunity booster', were found on sale in shops in London.

"Coronil, a herbal remedy from India, was found on sale in shops in predominantly Asian areas across the capital," reported BBC news.

However, the United Kingdom's advertising rules ban references to COVID-19 and 'boosting immunity' and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reportedly not approved Coronil for any use. 

"Appropriate action will be taken where any unauthorised medicinal product is offered or sold on the UK market," the BBC quoted MHRA as saying. 

The BBC said that the tests carried out for them show the pills offer no protection from COVID-19.

"A lab test of the drug carried out by Birmingham University for the BBC showed the pills contained plant-based ingredients which cannot protect against Covid-19," said a report.

In line with MHRA, virologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar also said the idea of boosting immunity makes no sense in terms of treating COVID-19.

"There are lots of nuances in how our immune system responds to the virus. We do not even know that heightening immunity helps. It is unclear what Coronil is trying to do to the immune system," the BBC quoted Shivkumar as saying.

Earlier in July, noted Yoga guru Baba Ramdev claimed that his organisation Patanjali Ayurveda followed all necessary protocols for developing the Coronil.

"We have followed all the protocols. These protocols were not set by Swami Ramdev or Patanjali but by modern medical sciences. We have made Coronil with use of Ashwagandha, Giloy, Tulsi," Ramdev had said.

The ayurvedic company on June 23 had said that the trial of the medicine was conducted on 280 patients and all had recovered.

The company also claimed that clinical controlled trial was also done by Patanjali Research Center Parai and NIMS in which 95 patients went through the trial, of which, 79 per cent patients recovered within 3 days and 100 per cent recovered within 7 days.

Currently, the 'Swasari coronil kit' is being sold as the 'Covid-19 Immunity Booster Kit' and is said to be tested and verified medicine from the PATANJALI Research Institute.