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ISMAIL: Tests on animal encouraging

KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - Clinical trials to be done by Selayang Hospital on a herb has raised the hopes of some 1.5 million Malaysians who are carriers of hepatitis B.

The herbal product, soon to be tested on 20 patients, will help those afflicted with the silent killer. Without treatment, some of these patients will eventually develop liver cancer.

The clinical trials will be conducted on those whose liver enzymes are minimally raised, which is what happens when the virus attacks the organ. This leads to inflammation and chronic infection.

Deputy Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican, who also heads the National Committee for Research and Development in Herbal Medicine, said the breakthrough came some three years ago and early tests on animals have been encouraging.

He said because of that, tests would be done on patients who were not getting any treatment as drugs available were not effective for those in this group.

In-vitro tests showed loss of the hepatitis surface antigen and animal studies showed a hepatoprotective effect of the herbal product which, if found effective, would prevent the virus from inflaming the liver and causing the enzymes.

At present, about 60 per cent of Malaysian patients who are hepatitis carriers have high amounts of liver enzymes and, in the long run, may suffer from complications of the disease, including liver cancer.

Dr Ismail said it would take at least five years for the product to be commercialised. “Patients have to be closely observed and results analysed.”

Dr Ismail said the virus could cause the disease to flare up anytime and the aim was to convert active replicative virus into non-replicative (passive).

The herbal product, Dr Ismail said, would be affordable and marketed in the region.
At present, treatment for hepatitis B costs between RM60,000 and RM70,000.

Meanwhile, the Government will soon set up the National Institute for Natural Product, Vaccinology and Biologicals to bridge the gap between researchers and people in the industry.

“We want them to work together so that proven natural products can be commercialised. We want to promote our own bio-diversity,” Dr Ismail said.

However, he said, there were procedures to be strictly adhered to such as standardisation of the herbal extracts, toxicology studies in animals and proper clinical trials involving human subjects. The clinical trial has at least three phases and it may take up to three to five years before final results can be obtained.

Research on herbs for HIV, dengue, malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes and high blood pressure is also in the pipeline.

Dr Ismail said the National Committee for Research and Development in Herbal Medicine has also come up with four guidelines for researchers.

They are standardisation of herbal medicinal products, clinical evaluation of traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) Interventions, making of claims for therapeutic products and intellectual property rights management.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek and Dr Ismail will leave for China on Monday to look at the various training modules and research centres of traditional Chinese medicines.

“We are also looking at the curriculum for those courses in traditional Chinese medicine.”

The ministry is also keen on finding out the scientific basis for China’s claims on specific diseases.

“While we have no problems with people seeking such treatment, it would be better for us to study the evidence before submitting ourselves to such treatment.”

The minister and Dr Ismail are scheduled to visit the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicine in Beijing, other TCM centres in Shanghai and various other places in China.

Malaysia has very clear policies on TCM especially in four areas — practice, product, training and research.

Dr Ismail said the ministry’s main emphasis was to ensure people dealing with TCM were properly trained and practised in registered premises.