Now 'Caripill' joins fight against dengue

Bengaluru-based Micro Labs Limited has come out with a new botanical pill that reportedly helps increase the platelet count in dengue patients. The new formulation,‘Caripill’, was launched in the City on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Nagabhushan K H, Vice President, Medical Services, Micro labs Ltd., said that while medical literature states that papaya leaves help maintain the platelet count in patients with dengue, there is no clarity on how it has to be consumed. “People consume the juice orally. The extract is taken from
non-standardized and unhygienic papaya leaves and no clear dosage is specified. This could have a detrimental impact on the patients. Keeping all these factors in mind, the pill was launched. Since it contains standard measures of the papaya leaf extract, the exact dosage can be specified for use.”

 He added, “The rising number of dengue cases among children has driven us to introduce a paediatric Caripill syrup for easy consumption and plan to launch it soon.” According to representatives from the lab, Caripill has been approved by the Ayush Authority, while the approval of the Drug Controller General of India is awaited.
“After extensive research and conducting clinical trials on 250 patients across two years, we have brought this to the market. We have seen positive results with a dramatic decrease in the haemorrhage condition. Besides, none of the patients who have been administered the drug have had to undergo blood transfusion so far,” said Dr A C Gowda, Principal Investigator, Clinical Trial for Caripill.

Type-2 dengue virus
The Type-2 strain of the dengue virus is more prevalent across Bengaluru, while types 1, 3 and 4 are seen in the other metro cities, say City doctors. So far, Bengaluru has reported 1,150 positive cases, according to the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

  Dr Nagabhushan said that a person who suffers from one of these types of dengue once gets resistance from that type for life. “Symptoms of all four types of dengue are the same. However, they are at a higher risk of being infected by the other types,” he added. “Dengue is emerging as a serious public health problem globally, with 2.5 billion people at risk and 50 million dengue infections occurring annually, according to a report of the World Health Organisation,” Dr Nagabhushan said. Caripill is priced at Rs 25 per tablet.