Technology Generator

Herbanext Laboratories, Inc.
Project Leader: Paul Felipe S. Cruz

The Problem

Dengue is one of the major health problems in the country. According to the World Health Organization, a total of 71,785 cases of dengue and 277 dengue-caused deaths have been reported in the Philippines from January 1 until October 17 this year. While there is no available specific treatment for dengue, there is a need for safe and scientifically-tested interventions that can help reduce the symptoms of dengue among infected patients.

The Solution

In Philippine folkloric medicine, a decoction of tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta L.) leaves is commonly used as treatment for dengue. Scientific studies have shown that tawa-tawa is rich in bioactive compounds like phenolics and flavonoids which may be responsible for its anti-dengue properties. Researchers from Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. (HLI) led by their Company President, Mr. Paul Felipe S. Cruz have dedicated over 5 years of research to study these bioactive compounds. This led to the formulation of a standardized spray-dried tawa-tawa extract which was later on packaged in capsule form.

HLI’s Tawa-tawa capsule is an herbal supplement that was developed through the funding assistance provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) under the Tuklas Lunas® Program. This is an FDA-approved non-toxic formulation that is already available in the market. This herbal supplement claims no therapeutic properties but results of antithrombocytopenic studies provide evidence that it may help alleviate or reduce the symptoms of dengue. Said studies have shown that HLI’s standardized tawa-tawa extract has significantly increased platelet count of Sprague-Dawley rats after 5 days of treatment.

Product Development Stage

Tawa-tawa herbal supplement is already at Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL 9). This herbal supplement is already available in the market. HLI is planning to conduct clinical studies to develop this supplement into a drug that will be used as a complementary treatment for dengue.

Contact Person

Herbanext Laboratories, Inc.
Negros South Road, Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Tel No. +63 (34) 732-8106
http://www.herbanext.com/tawa-tawa/