Patanjali, Chennai-based institution to jointly conduct clinical trials of Ayurvedic medicines

Head of Patanjali Research Foundation Anurag Varshney said with the help of this MoU, both institutions will together present the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicines to the world in an evidence-based manner and prove their usefulness in treating various diseases.

Dean-Research, SRM CCTR Nitin M Nagarkar expressed happiness that the agreement will play an important role in giving global recognition to India’s ancient system of medicine.

Also Read: “Did it in excitement”, Ramdev on Patanjali ads

Misleading ads and apology

Patanjali products have been a point of discussion in the past few months for their misleading advertisements.

On 16 April, the Supreme Court ordered yoga guru Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna, and Patanjali Ayurved to issue a public apology in the misleading advertisements case.

On 19 March, the apex court directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it after taking exception to the company’s failure to respond to the notice issued in the case relating to advertisements of the firm’s products and their medicinal efficacy.

The top court had said it deemed it appropriate to issue a show cause notice to Ramdev as the advertisements issued by Patanjali, which were in the teeth of the undertaking given to the court on 21 November 2023, reflect his endorsement.

Ramdev and Balkrishna had, earlier tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products.

However, the Supreme Court on 23 April, questioned Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for the tiny size of the apology they published in newspapers.

Referring to the size of the advertisements, the bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked Patanjali Ayurved if the public apology they published in newspapers yesterday was as big as their advertisements.

The apex court was also scheduled to hear a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.

The bench had posted the matter for further hearing on 30 April.

Also Read: SC raps Patanjali’s ‘stamp-sized’ apology for smear campaign

(With PTI inputs)