CCMB-incubated Hyderabad startup supplement claims to boost immunity against Covid-19

A startup incubated at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad has developed ‘CoronAid’ a novel nutraceutical claimed to boost immunity against Covid-19.

The food supplement is made from a mushroom type, Cordyceps militaris, which grows in the Himalayan region and is known for immune boosting and anti-oxidant components.

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Clone Deals, a start-up incubated at the Atal Incubation Centre-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (AIC-CCMB), has collaborated with another Hyderabad-based company, Ambrosia Food Company, to develop a combination of the mushroom powder with curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, to make CoronAid Anti-Viral Immunity Booster Oral Suspension, a statement from CCMB said on Thursday.

Cordycepin in the mushroom powder is known to prevent the formation of new DNA and RNA strands.

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Clone Deals has collaborated with scientists from CCMB to establish the potency of cordycepin in stopping the growth of the Covid-19-causing coronavirus in a cell-culture system. The studies show that cordycepin inhibits the multiplication of coronavirus.

Clone Deals has expertise in large-scale production of the mushroom in a controlled environment for its medicinal use. Currently, the team has obtained the FSSAI approval for marketing and submitted proposals to the government of India for conducting clinical trials at three All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Bhopal, to establish the safety of their formulation, the CCMB said.

With satisfactory results of the clinical trials, the product is expected to be available from December 2020 in most cities and towns, adding considerable protection against the virus.

"We are delighted to support a start-up focused on developing indigenous natural products and adding value by establishing its scientific basis," Dr Rakesh Mishra, director CCMB said.