CCMB incubated Clone Deals launches ‘CoronAID’

The anti-COVID immunity food supplement is derived from a rare mushroom

‘CoronAid’, a nutraceutical anti-viral immunity booster oral suspension to boost immunity against COVID-19 has been unveiled by the city-based startup ‘Clone Deals’ on Friday.

The firm incubated at Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) has made the ‘food supplement’ with a combination of powder from a rare mushroom ‘cordyceps militaris’ that grows in Himalayas only two months a year and is known for its immune boosting and anti-oxidant properties.

It has been mixed with curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, in collaboration with another firm - Ambrosia Food Company to make the product, which has obtained approval from the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said Prakash Ayodhya Pandem, Paul Venkatesh and M. Ateek Patel of ‘Clone Deals’.

CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra and AIC-CCMB chief executive officer N. Madhursuhana Rao launched the product said to be safe for all ages as it can be taken as a food supplement any time. Clone Deals has taken assistance of CCMB scientists to establish the potency of ‘cordycepin’ component - found in the mushroom, to establish potency in “stopping the growth of COVID-19 causing coronavirus in a cell culture system”.

The founders claimed the studies showed ‘cordycepin’ inhibits multiplication of coronavirus and that Clone Deals has the expertise in large-scale production of the mushroom in a controlled atmosphere for the medicinal use. “We have also sought government permission for conducting human clinical trials to establish the safety of the formulation to be used as potential medicine in the form of ‘cordyceps capsules’ with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Nagpur, Bhopal and Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences, (MGM) Navi Mumbai ,” they said.

Results of clinical trials are expected to be available from December when the product is expected to be available in most places of the country. “We hope ‘CoronaAID’ would be a New Year gift to the world and add considerable protection against the virus,” said Mr. Prakash, Mr. Venkatesh and Mr. Patel.

Dr. Mishra congratulated them and expressed pleasure in supporting the startup focused on developing indigenous natural products and adding value by establishing its scientific basis. Dr. Rao pointed out AIC-CCMB has been providing necessary infrastructure facilities and scientific support to startups like Clone Deals for validation of their technology and market readiness. Hyderabad based NuZen Herbals is the exclusive marketing and distribution partner.