AVP Research Foundation

Last updated

AVP Research Foundation
Founded2003
Founder P. R. Krishna Kumar,
K. G. Raveendran
FocusAyurveda/Life Science Research
Location
  • Coimbatore, India
Area served
India and overseas
Key people
Website www.avpresearch.org

The AVP Research Foundation (formerly known as AVT Institute for Advanced Research) was established in 2003 as a research department under The Ayurvedic Trust and became an independent not-for-profit research institution registered under section 25 of The Companies Act, 1956 in 2012. The foundation is known for its excellence in clinical research on Ayurvedic medicines, [1] initiatives on practice based evidence, [2] developing research and education oriented software for Ayurvedic fraternity and its journal indexing service in Ayurveda. [3] The department of scientific and industrial research, Government of India has recognised the institution as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Contents

History

The AVP Research Foundation (AVP RF) was established in 2003 as AVT Institute for Advanced Research (AVTAR) under The Ayurvedic Trust to administer the research initiatives of the trust and Arya Vaidya Pharmacy|The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Cbe) Ltd. The trust in itself had pioneered in research on arthritis right from 1980s' [4] and later the multifaceted trust established AVTAR to concentrate on research in Ayurveda. The department in recent times became an independent institution focusing on research and education in Ayurveda. The institution is steered by a research advisory board and function under a Director & Chief Scientific Officer appointed by the Board of Directors and the Governing Council. [5]

Activities

Research

The foundation is engaged in basic and clinical research in Ayurveda, the clinical trial conducted at The Ayurvedic Trust in collaboration with UCLA Medical School on rheumatoid arthritis to see which works better for rheumatoid arthritis, Ayurveda or the Western drug methotrexate [6] was pronounced as a blue print on how clinical research can be done in complementary and alternative medicine by Edzard Ernst. [7] The Foundation is also engaged in research to establish evidence from on going clinical practices to substantiate the practice of Ayurveda by generating evidence on efficacy through practice-based evidence. It is also involved in basic research to elucidate the probably biochemistry behind classical Ayurvedic medicine practised in India for quite long period.

In 2020 Arya Vaidya Pharmacy has signed an MoU with Central Council for Research In Ayurveda Systems to conduct phase III Multi centric clinical trial on rheumatoid arthritis in Bengaluru and Mumbai. [8]

In year 2017 AVP Research Foundation signed an MoU to conduct joint training programmes is USA in tie-up with South California University and in Korea through Indo-Korean collaborators. [9]

Education

AVP Research Foundation is engaged in education by providing ancillary courses on Ayurveda for students in Ayurveda from India and abroad. [10]

Informatics

The Foundation has an informatics department which has developed unique software and programs that assist researchers and practitioners in Ayurveda to generate and document their routine clinical practise. [11]

Journals

AVP Research Foundation manages largest number of scientific communications in Ayurveda with two research journals, Ancient Science of Life [12] launched in 1981, which is now the largest PubMed indexed journal on Ayurveda and the first speciality research journal in Ayurveda titled ASL-Musculoskeletal Diseases [13] published in alliance with Medknow Publications.

Conferences

AVP Research Foundation organises regular conferences, workshops and Continuing Medical Education programs in the field of Ayurveda. Insight Ayurveda is biennial conference on Ayurveda hosted by AVP Research Foundation.

Inter-disciplinary Research

Inter-disciplinary research bridging Ayurveda with modern sciences to elucidate the biochemistry behind the inherent theories in Ayurveda is also attempted at AVP Research Foundation.

Support for open access

The foundation supports open access of research and all the journals published from the institution are open to access free online. The database developed by the foundation attempts to make the data generated out of research in Ayurveda is available to larger circle of stakeholders. [14] The institutions also involves in pursuing more journals to come forward to be open access. The institution also have made the classical texts of Ayurveda available in digital format which is also free to access. [15]

Public engagement and outreach programs

The foundation is engaged in public out reach programs through regular medical camps on ano-rectal diseases and eye diseases.

Awards

The research in the institution was recognised with Excellence in Integrative Medicine Research Award by the European Society of Integrative Medicine in 2012. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayurveda</span> Alternative medicine with roots in India

Ayurveda is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayurveda is pseudoscientific.

Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health (MVAH) is a form of alternative medicine founded in the mid-1980s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who developed the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM). Distinct from traditional ayurveda, it emphasizes the role of consciousness, and gives importance to positive emotions. Maharishi Ayur-Veda has been variously characterized as emerging from, and consistently reflecting, the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, representing the entirety of the ayurvedic tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methotrexate</span> Chemotherapy and immunosuppressant medication

Methotrexate (MTX), formerly known as amethopterin, is a chemotherapy agent and immune-system suppressant. It is used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and ectopic pregnancies. Types of cancers it is used for include breast cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, lymphoma, gestational trophoblastic disease, and osteosarcoma. Types of autoimmune diseases it is used for include psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's disease. It can be given by mouth or by injection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unani medicine</span> Traditional medicine from the Mughal empire

Unani or Yunani medicine is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes Unani practitioners who claim to practice medicine as quacks.

Todd Caldecott is a Canadian clinical herbalist, Ayurvedic practitioner in Vancouver, British Columbia, author of the textbook Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life (2006) and Food As Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food (2011), and co-editor of Ayurveda In Nepal: The Teachings of Vaidya Mana Bajra Bajracharya (2011). He is also a former film and television actor.

Tocilizumab, sold under the brand name Actemra among others, is an immunosuppressive drug, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a severe form of arthritis in children, and COVID‑19. It is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays an important role in immune response and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, multiple myeloma and prostate cancer. Tocilizumab was jointly developed by Osaka University and Chugai, and was licensed in 2003 by Hoffmann-La Roche.

Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.) is a professional degree focused on Ayurveda offered in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaidya Suresh Chaturvedi</span>

Vaidya Suresh Chaturvedi (1928-2017) was an Ayurveda practitioner from Rajasthan, India. Previously he was a professor at Bombay University and has written many books on Ayurveda. In 2000, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the India. As an active practitioner of the ancient science of Ayurveda (healing), he is known in the national and international arenas of alternate medicines and has presented numerous papers. He has held a number of conferences in India. He was, a Ph.D guide in the University of Mumbai.

Vaidyaratnam P. Sankunni Varier was an Ayurveda practitioner from what is now Kerala, India. He is well-regarded as the founder of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, a major Ayurvedic treatment centre in Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya</span> Private university located at Shantikunj near Haridwar and run by Shri Vedmata Gayatri Trust

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya is an Indian university located at Shantikunj near Haridwar city in state of Uttarakhand. Established in 2002 by the act of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly it is a fully residential university. Run by Shri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, Shantikunj, Haridwar, it provides various degree, diploma and certificate courses in areas like clinical psychology, Yogic science, alternative therapy, Indian culture, tourism, rural management, theology, spiritual counseling etc. It also provides courses through distance learning mode.

Rajagopalan Krishnan Vaidyan was an Indian ayurvedic practitioner from the Indian state of Kerala and the president of the Association of Ayurvedic Physicians of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arya Vaidya Sala</span> Indian Healthcare Centre

Arya Vaidya Sala, popularly known as Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, is a healthcare centre located in Kottakkal, in the Indian state of Kerala, providing services under the Indian traditional medicine system of Ayurveda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filgotinib</span> Chemical compound

Filgotinib, sold under the brand name Jyseleca, is a medication used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It was developed by the Belgian-Dutch biotech company Galapagos NV.

Vaidya Balendu Prakash is an Indian Ayurveda practitioner. He is a former physician to the President of India and the founder of Paadav, a specialty Ayurvedic hospital in Dehradun. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 1999.

P. R. Krishna Kumar was an Indian Ayurveda expert and managing director of The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore) Ltd. He founded the AVP Research Foundation, a non-profit organisation promoting research in the Ayurveda. He was the chancellor of the Avinashilingam University, and the chairman of CARe Keralam, a resource centre involved in efforts to standardise Ayurvedic medicines. The Government of India awarded him the fourth-highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2009, for his contributions to Ayurveda.

Ram Harsh Singh is an Indian practitioner of the Ayurveda system of alternative medicine and the founder vice chancellor of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University. An Emeritus Professor of Banaras Hindu University and a National Professor of the Ministry of AYUSH of the Government of India, he was conferred with the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri, in 2016.

Clinical trials on ayurveda refers to any clinical trials done on ayurvedic treatment. Ayurveda is a traditional medicine system in India and like other cultural medical practices includes both conventional medicine and also complementary and alternative medicine. When there are clinical trials in ayurveda, the focus tends to be on practices in alternative medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar</span>

Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) Jamnagar, Gujarat, India which was founded in 1967. It has a joint campus with, an Institute of National Importance, established in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhaskar Vishwananth Ghokale</span> Indian educator, activist, and philosopher

Bhaskar Vishwanath Gokhale, also known as Vaidya Bhaskar Vishwanath Gokhale, and popularly called Mama Gokhaleji, was an Indian Ayurveda practitioner, Ayurvedic teacher, freedom fighter, and philosopher.

Aryavaidyan P.V. Rama Varier was a distinguished Indian Ayurveda physician, entrepreneur, and founder of The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore) Limited. He was known for his significant contributions to Ayurvedic medicine, establishment of healthcare institutions, and propagation of holistic well-being.

References

  1. ↑ "Research conducted by Kovai scientists on rheumatic patients shortlisted for prestigious award". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 11 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Nampoothiry, K Govindan (12 September 2008). "RUDRA: A new technology to examine patients". Merinews. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015.
  3. ↑ Manohar, PR; Eranezhath, SS; Mahapatra, A; Manohar, SR (April 2012). "Dhara: Digital Helpline for Ayurveda Research Articles". Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 3 (2): 97–101. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.96530 . PMC   3371566 . PMID   22707867.
  4. ↑ G, Sangeetha (5 March 2007). "Washington varsity takes up study on Ayurved". Rediff News.
  5. ↑ "Staff Plan". Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Furst, DE; Venkatraman, MM; McGann, M; Manohar, PR; Booth-LaForce, C; Sarin, R; Sekar, PG; Raveendran, KG; Mahapatra, A; Gopinath, J; Kumar, PR (June 2011). "Double-blind, randomized, controlled, pilot study comparing classic ayurvedic medicine, methotrexate, and their combination in rheumatoid arthritis". Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 17 (4): 185–92. doi:10.1097/RHU.0b013e31821c0310. PMID   21617554. S2CID   14949859.
  7. ↑ Rajagopal, Shyama (17 July 2011). "U.S. Study shows efficacy of Ayurveda medicines in rheumatoid arthritis cure". The Hindu.
  8. ↑ "AVP signs MoU with CCRAS for multi centric clinical trial on". outlookindia. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "AVP striving to promote ayurveda research". Business Standard India. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Academics". avpresearch.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Eranezhath, S (January 2011). "Ayurveda poised for change, So is the 'Ancient Science of Life'". Ancient Science of Life. 30 (3): 63–4. PMC   3336257 . PMID   22557429.
  12. ↑ "Ancient Science of Life". Ancient Science of Life.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ↑ "Digital Helpline for Ayurveda Research Articles". Dhara Online.
  15. ↑ "ayutexts.dharaonline.org". ayutexts.
  16. ↑ "Arya Vaidya Pharmacy receives award from European Society of Integrative Medicine". Express Pharma Online. 11 February 2013. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014.
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