Heart treatment now more affordable
By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 12 Dec: The spotlight is now on Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU) Jollygrant’s ‘Himalayan School of Biosciences’. Assistant Professor with the School, Dr Purandhi Rupamani’s invention of a ‘stent’ through the use of generic drugs, has accrued three major benefits for people suffering from heart ailments in the future.
After angioplasty, the use of medicines in treatment (medicine load) will now be almost eliminated.
The discovery is in keeping with the ‘Make in India’ concept formulated by the Prime Minister, shares Dr Purandhi, who was driven by her desire to serve society in keeping with the vision of SRHU’s social responsibility.
Chancellor Dr Vijay Dhasmana congratulated Dr Purandhi Rupamani and stated that this innovation could prove to be a boon for humanity. This could result in the heart treatment becoming more affordable in the future.
This “stent” has been invented using new technologies that are comparatively affordable. This pathbreaking effort has made use of ‘generic drugs’ in the stent. The Indian Government has granted a patent for Dr Purandhi’s invention.
A patent for the ‘Development of Dual Drug Eluting Stent in the Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease’ by Dr Purandhi has been granted. This stent may be used during angioplasty for the treatment of heart patients.
Dr Vijay Dhasmana added that SRHU has a proud record in the field of research and innovation. It is proud that this new patent could be highly beneficial for public health.
He added that the university has, ever since its inception, focused on research work. Important work on several new discoveries is underway in the university’s state-of-the-art laboratories. Success in more research is expected soon.
One patent, three benefits:
Dr Purandhi explains that this patent could bring three major benefits to heart patients in the future.
First Benefit: Reduction in the cost of stents – Dr Purandhi explains that foreign companies are producing drug-eluting stents, which cost around one to two lakh rupees. This new stent has been developed using generic drugs, making the cost of the stent approximately half the price of other stents available in the market.
Second Benefit: Reduction in the consumption of medicines after treatment – Even after angioplasty, patients usually have to take atorvastatin and fenofibrate medicines for a lifetime. The stent she has developed uses these medicines in the construction of the stent layer. This will result in a significant reduction in the consumption of medicines by patients after angioplasty.
Third Benefit: Reduction in the thickness of the stent – Dr Purandhi explains that the stents currently available have a thickness of four microns, while the stent she has developed has a size of one micron.
90% Success Rate – Dr Purandhi mentions that the human trial for the stent developed is yet to be conducted. In the 28-day testing on mice, the stent showed a success rate of over 90%.
Dr Purandhi revealed that, now, the stent will undergo pre-clinical trials on larger animals such as pigs and rabbits.
‘Make in India’ Concept – Dr Purandhi Rupamani said that when she was working on this project, she made the ‘Make in India’ concept the core principle. She wanted a modern stent to be made in India. The cost of the stent made in India would be much lower than the cost of foreign stents. This way, every needy citizen of the country could have access to high-quality stents.