14 June,2010 09:41 AM IST | | Alifiya Khan
Can an anti-bacterial medicine rid a person of a viral infection like HIV? Ridiculous, you may say. But an Indore-based company manufacturing herbal medicines makes just such a claim.
Swaarnim Naturscience Ltd claims on its website that its "herbal antibacterial product" Aidcure is "useful in various bacterial infection" and also "helps to cure aids" with its "anti bacterial action."
"It is complete rubbish. HIV/AIDS is viral. No one can claim to cure or help to cure it in any way," said Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, deputy director of city-based National AIDS Research Institute.
The government lists AIDS as a non-reversible syndrome.
"AIDS is mentioned as incurable under various acts," said a senior official from National AIDS Control Organisation, requesting anonymity. "Promoting products on a website as any kind of cure is punishable by law. We will investigate this matter."
Word play
Virendra Kumar Jain, founder of Swaarnim Naturscience Ltd, claims to be a registered medical practitioner. He said he had proven research to show the efficacy of his drugs.
"Actually, my drugs are almost like a cure; you will find testimonials of patients, who will say how much longer they lived after hope was given up," said Jain. "But I know the law says that cure can not be claimed, so I said 'help to cure,' which I think is fine."
Aseem Sarode, a city-based lawyer who had filed a case against a Nanded doctor couple for selling drugs they claimed cured AIDS, said that even claiming to 'help to cure' was punishable under the law.
"These are just word tricks. The name Aidcure is itself so suggestive," said Sarode.
u00a0
The law makes advertising AIDS cures illegal (see box). In a Nanded case, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court in 2007 prohibited three doctors from claiming through ads a cure for HIV/AIDS. In Kerala, a man named T A Majeed was asked by the Supreme Court to stop selling Immuno-QR, a drug he claimed cured HIV/AIDS. A few months on, the Karnataka High Court passed a similar interim order.
Other ailments
The Swaarnim Naturscience Ltd website also claims to have treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes, and even sexual problems. It alsou00a0 advertises a product called Heptone-B as a cure for hepatitis B and C, which are legally listed as diseases none can claim to prevent or cure.
In Mumbai, the police recently arrested "miracle doctor" Munir Khan after 60 people filed a complaint against him of making false claims that his drug Body Revive could cure cancer, heart blockage and tumours. Soon after that Mumbai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials got a Dr Panjwani, who claimed to cure over 50 ailments with a drug.
"These drugs are rubbish and can cause adverse reactions," said FDA Joint Comm- issioner,u00a0 Suhas Chaudhari.
(With inputs from Alisha Coelho)
