Drug Development in Unani System of Medicine: Reverse Pharmacological Approach

Hippocrates (460-377) the father of medicine was the first person who gave status of science to USM (Unani system of Medicine).USM was developed first in an elaborated way by Arab scholar’s viz. Avicenna, Al Zehravi, Rhazes etc. The system flourished in various countries like India, Iraq, Egypt etc. During the British rule the USM suffered a lot, but after independence of India it was recognized by the Indian parliament and steps were taken for its development and propagation. Drug development in USM using present parameters is necessary for its global acceptance. Clinical experiences, observations and available data in USM became the starting points for research in drug development. Drug development in USM under scientific parameters may be undergone through the reverse pharmacological approach. . Reverse pharmacology can reduce the three major problems of cost, time and toxicity. Qarabadeen (Unani Pharmacopoeal document) play a vital role in drug development of USM .Now a day’s drug development in USM has passed through nearly all phases from reverse pharmacology to the nanotechnology but still it is in budding phase. It has been already proved by the Renoved Unani philosophers, the Unani drugs are efficacious and safe but to prove it scientifically reverse pharmacology and all phases of clinical trial should be done on all Unani drugs in order to propagate data for safety and regulatory status. This paper will detail about the data and highlight how drug developments can be initiated through reverse pharmacology in USM.

Keywords: Drug Development, Unani Medicine, Reverse Pharmacology.