Clinical Implications of ITA-1 (Coded Single Herbal Drug of Unani Medicine) in Sinusitis

Sinusitis is a medical condition in which patients run from pathy-to-pathy and doctor-to-doctor in search of sustained relief. Medical management as offered by conventional modern system of medicine consisting of the use of antibiotics, decongestants and anti-histamines does not offer desired relief in all cases often necessitating surgical intervention which also fails to provide an irreversible cure to all patients. Although Unani classics does not provide a separate description of Sinusitis, the clinical features of „Nazla-e-Barid Muzmin“ correspond with chronic Sinusitis. A large number of drugs are reported to be useful in the treatment of Nazla-e-Barid Muzmin in Unani Medicine but sufficient clinical data are not available to show that Sinusitis can be treated safely and successfully by these drugs. Realizing that there is ample need and scope for search of new, safe and effective drugs for this disease, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine is undertaking clinical studies with herbal drugs/formulations in its centers. This study looks at the effect of ITA-1 on 100 patients of radiologically confirmed sinusitis of either sex, different age groups and various chronicities given a micropulverised powdered form of this medicine orally at a 400mg dose daily divided into two doses on an empty stomach for a period of 60 days. Relief and remission in clinical picture along with radiological clearance of affected sinuses formed the basis of evaluation of response to treatment. The outcome of the treatment indicates a clinical efficacy of the drug in all age groups and chronicities with maximum response in frontal sinusitis followed by maxillary sinus involvement. Results related to hepato-renal functions of the patients supported with thorough clinical examination suggest safety of the drug for its use as therapeutic agent. Details of the study including clinico-statistical profile will be presented.

Acknowledgements: Thanks go to the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, New Delhi for supporting this study.

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