By IANS,
London : Scientists in New Zealand have started the test of “polypill”, a multidrug manufactured by an Indian company to protect against heart disease and stroke.
The single, cheap tablet combining a range of drugs was manufactured by Dr Reddy’s of Hyderabad, India and it is aimed at reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke in poor and rich countries alike.
A team led by Anthony Rodgers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, has begun recruiting 700 volunteers in six countries for a pilot trial of a polypill, reported the online edition of New Scientist.
The trials in thousands of people which could start next year are funded by the Wellcome Trust in London and the British Heart Foundation.
The “polypill” was mooted years ago as a cheap way to slash deaths from the big killer diseases, but pharmaceutical companies were reluctant to take on the project as the inexpensive drugs involved provided no financial incentive.