Clone Deals, a Hyderabad based start-up incubated at Atal Incubation Centre- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (AIC-CCMB), has developed ‘CoronAid’ a novel nutraceutical to boost immunity against Covid- 19.
The food supplement is made from a mushroom, Cordyceps militaris that grows in the Himalayan region and is known for its immune boosting and anti-oxidant components. They have 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.
Cordycepin in the mushroom powder is known to prevent formation of new DNA and RNA strands. 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 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 to Government of India for conducting clinical trials to establish the safety of their formulation with three All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Bhopal.
With the results of the clinical trials, the product is expected to be available from December 2020 in most cities and towns. Dr Prakash Ayodhya Pandem and M Ateek Patel of Clone Deals hope that CoronaAid would be a New Year’s gift to the world and add considerable protection against the virus. Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director CCMB, expressed his pleasure in supporting a start-up focused on developing indigenous natural products and adding value by establishing its scientific basis. Dr Madhusudhana Rao, CEO of AIC-CCMB said that providing necessary facilities and scientific support to start-ups like Clone Deals is critical for validation of their technology and market-readiness.