'Tawa-tawa' extract launched to combat dengue

“Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that the product is non-toxic, significantly increases the platelet count in laboratory rats within five days of treatment, and maintains its efficacy even after undergoing our proprietary spray-dried extraction process,” said Philip Cruz, president of Herbanext Laboratories, the Bago City-based firm which manufactures the extract.

Microbiologist Phil Aidan Cruz, product development head of Herbanext, explains that the product is safe, standardized and accessible to consumers who are familiar with the health benefits of tawa-tawa.

Daily Apple Tawa-Tawa Capsules is duly-registered as a food supplement with the Food and Drug Administration. It is compliant with all FDA standards on food supplements. As such, it is suitable for drug development and eligible for clinical studies to establish its therapeutic effect.

Herbanext Laboratories President & Founder Philip Cruz and Generika Drugstore Vice-President for Operations Jay Ferrer sign the memorandum of agreement for Generika’s exclusive distributorship of the product among its almost 900 drugstores nationwide.

Local folks boil tawa-tawa and use the resulting concoction as a medicine to be taken orally by a patient afflicted with dengue.

Under Herbanext’s state-of-the-art processing method, two kilos of tawa-tawa are boiled and spray-dried to produce 500 grams of extract, without losing the basic ingredients of the herb.

The lowly “tawa-tawa” herb, widely known as a folk medicine against dengue, makes its entry into the commercial space.

The powder is then packed into 670 mg capsules, containing 234 mg of extract and standardized flavonoids. Packed into bottles of 30 capsules each, it can be taken as a food supplement of one to two capsules before meals.
Cruz pointed out that the product was not developed overnight.

It took more than five years of research and development by Herbanext, with funding support from the Department of Science and Technology and the “Tuklas Lunas” Program of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development before it was formally introduced to the market today.

The powderized tawa-tawa extract is packed into 670 mg capsules, containing 234 mg of extract and standardized flavonoids. Packed into bottles of 30 capsules each, it can be taken as a food supplement of one to two capsules before meals.*

“Malaysia, Pakistan, India and other countries are already conducting studies on the efficacy of tawa-tawa against dengue. We can’t allow ourselves to be left at the bottom of the pack,” added Cruz.

“In view of the Department of Health’s recent declaration of a nationwide dengue epidemic, we felt the need to immediately launch this product to help combat dengue. DOST even helped promote the product, as it announced earlier that the tawa-tawa extract, which is a product of the Tuklas Lunas Program, will be out in the market,” said Cruz.

The launch of the product also featured the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Herbanext and Generika Drugstore, as the exclusive distributor. Generika, which boasts of almost 900 drugstores all over the country, was represented by Vice-President for Operations Jay Ferrer.* (BUTCH S. BACAOCO, with report from Kristine G. Alonso)
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