Research & Development

Unani system of medicine in Pakistan

Unani was first introduced to Indo-Pak by the Arabs. It enjoyed the patronage of the Khiljis, Tuglaqs and Mughal Emperors. Among the key contributors, Hakim Ajmal Khan championed the cause of Unani system in the pre independence era. Hakim Abdul Hameed made very valuable contributions towards stabilizing & modernizing Unani Medicine both before and after independence.

Means of diagnosis in Unani system of medicine

Diagnosis is the key storyteller in Unani Medicine. The patient’s physical appearance is the first chapter, telling the Unani Physician (Hakim) a lot about his ailments. Questions on dietary intake, excretions, symptoms, sleep and activity patterns lead to more insights and knowledge. They form the basis of the treatment. However the most distinctive feature of diagnosis in the Unani system is its emphasis on diagnosing the disease through Nabz (pulse), a rhythmic expansion of arteries, which is felt by fingers.

Regimental therapy in Unani System of Medicine:

As far as possible Unani medicine therapy attempts to use simple physical means to cure a disease. Some of the techniques used in Ilaj bil- Tadbir (Regimental therapy) include Hijamah (Cupping), Fasd (Venesection), Tareeq (Sweating), Idrar-e-Baul (Diuretics), Hamam (Turkish Bath), Dalak (Massage), Kai (Cauterization), Ishal (Purging), Qai (Vomiting), Riyazat (Exercise) and Taleeq (Leeching).

Dieto therapy in Unani system of medicine

Unani Medicine lays great emphasis on treating certain ailments by administering a specific diet or by regulating the quality and quantity of food. Ilaj-bil-Ghiza (Dieto therapy) is used in Unani as a key line of treatment. Food included as part of the diet is included, for both its nutritional value and its pharmacological actions specially to being equilibrium back to normal.

Pharmacotherapy in Unani System of medicine

Unani medicine derives its goodness from natural substances. Unani physicians usually practice usage of a single drug and poly-pharmaceutical preparations. According to sources 117,000 formulations of Unani system are in practice. They believe the active ingredient should remain with the natural elements of the plant to help reduce the risk of side effects.
Ilaj-bil-Dawa (Pharmacotherapy) aims at rebalancing the body, so the body can fight off the problem on its own. Many Unani medications act to stimulate and support the immune system so it can function at the optimal level.

Surgery in Unani system of medicine

Unani Physicians were pioneers in surgery and developed history first set of surgical instruments and techniques. They practiced Ilaj-bil-Yad (Surgery) and wrote many remarkable treatises on the subject like Kitab-al-Tasreef by Abul Qasim Zohravi, ‘Kitab-al-umda fil Jarahat’ by Ibn-al-Quf, ‘Kamilus San’a’ by Ali Abbas Majoosi etc.

Areas of expertise in Unani system of medicine

Unani System has shown remarkable results in curing disease such as Muscular skeletal disorders, Respiratory conditions, Skin disorders, Liver disorders, Nervous system disorders and several other acute and chronic diseases where other systems have failed to give desired response. Now the system has crossed national boundaries and is popular among the masses globally.

Prevention of Disease in Unani System of Medicine

Unani recognizes the influence of the surrounding environment on the health of human beings. Thus Unani endeavors to restore the equilibrium of the various elements and faculties of the human body.
Unani lays down 6 essential pre-requisites for the prevention of disease. They are known as Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriya

• Air
• Foods and drinks
• Bodily movement and repose
• Physical movement and repose
• Sleep and wakefulness
• Retention & Evacuation

1. Modern Unani/Awami Science

A long time ago in ancient Greece, there evolved a system of medicine which is now known as UNANI SYSTEM. Hippocrates freed medicine from the realm of witchcraft and magic and gave it the status of science, and was named the ‘Father of Medicine’. He believed that equilibrium of ‘Arkan’ (elements), ‘Akhlat’ (humor) and ‘Mizaj’ (temperament) kept the mind and body healthy. After Hippocrates, a number of Greek scholars, including Galen and Razes contributed to Unani through their observations and discoveries.

In the modern world, Unani faces a tough challenge of making a traditional medicinal system relevant today. Since the inception of Awami in 1982 we were of an opinion that Unani system of medicine needs to evolve with time. It needs to understand changing environmental circumstances and address healthcare needs accordingly. It has to encourage learning and assimilating the best from other forms of healthcare systems which includes but not limited to Ayurveda and homoeopathy. A synergistic union between modern and traditional medicine will provide the best healthcare available to patients. This ‘hybrid’, synergistic system of medicine is practiced by Awami. We call it contemporary or modern Unani system of treatment.

Our founder, Mr. Ikram Hussain Bhatti, believed in the potential of herbs and of the various benefits of traditional medicine. However, he also believed that in order for traditional medicine to be widely accepted, it needed to be credible. Credibility of drugs can be achieved through scientific validation.

Awami’s first drug, Garlicum®, natural anti-hypertensive, was born few years after inception of Awami Laboratories®. Two years were spent on informal trials, scientific validation and in discovering the process of making tablets. Mr. Ikram Hussain believed that in order to make herbal medicine mainstream, it would need to follow modern day research protocols during development and be available in a widely accepted format like tablets or syrup. This is the only way in which Unani could become relevant and make its place in the modern world medicine.

Taking inspiration from this legacy, today Awami scientists and herbalists spend years researching the therapeutic benefits of herbs. We use over 300 herbs in our products, and each day we study many more. As soon as new benefits of herbs are discovered, we update our herbal monograph, a guide that gives a basic description of the herb and lists its chemical constituents, actions, clinical uses, recommended dosage and even magical or supernatural properties ( magical in terms of local myths and beliefs). It’s a job requiring patience and passion. After that, a great deal of time is spent on authenticating the herb, isolating its active marker, testing its therapeutic property and validating safety and efficacy. The whole process can take anywhere on average between two to ten years. We believe that no investment is too much when it comes to developing safe and efficacious products. We use the most advanced technology available to determine the accuracy, safety and efficacy of drugs during the development process.

2. Research & Development Centre.

Awami has invested over 10 years in engaging and pooling researchers who not only have perfected their skills in healthcare but also have researched on their own in one or more specific diseases or ailment for a reliable cure or a skillset supporting healthcare

We have built an association of more than 50 physicians and scientists working as our core strength in R&D. Our associate scientists come from disciplines as diverse as analytical chemistry, formulation and development, phytochemistry, new drug discovery, novel drug delivery systems, pharmacognosy, preclinical toxicology and pharmacology, clinical pharmacology and agriculture. This vast and diverse background of the R&D team gives us unique insights into the world of herbs, helping us understand, discover and develop breakthrough products.

The use of advanced technology ensures accuracy, efficacy and safety of each and every product.

We work closely with the University of Agricultural Faisalabad, University College of Pharmacy University Punjab Sciences, and Weed Science Society of Pakistan Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa to develop new therapeutic drugs, build a corpus of knowledge on herbs and protect endangered herbs and plants.

3. Formulating a Unani Medicine

All medicine formulations at Awami are based on core ideology of Unani. A team of pharmacognosist and Unani experts at our R&D section select through thousands of listed herbs and identify some for research and development. The availability of the herb is first explored before the development process begins.

At the outset, Awami’s agro-expert studies the geographical and seasonal profiles of these herbs. Active markers within these herbs, which contain its therapeutic property, may vary when cultivated in different locations. Changes in seasons may also affect the herbal constituents. Profiling is done in order to ensure a standardization protocol, which guarantees batch-to-batch drug consistency. Consistency is further maintained as some herbs are cultivated under supervision in Awami’s own farm. Despite consistency checks at ground level, herbs have to pass through rigorous and high-standard quality parameters. They are subjected to pharmacological screenings to evaluate their pharmacological action and toxic profile.

After the drug is formulated, it is administered in various dosages in multi-centric clinical trials to test the efficacy of the drug. After the drug give positive results, it goes through toxicity tests to ensure that it is safe to test on humans.

We have conducted clinical trials for our products in leading hospitals in Pakistan which includes Mayo Hospital Lahore.

4. New Research Areas:

At Awami, our scientists are conducting exciting research in the field of endocrinology, Cardiovascular Issues, cancer, lifestyle related disorders and women’s health.

Awami’s anti-diabetic medicine project has been underway for the past three years.

Glucocin® is Awami’s current offering for diabetes. Studies have shown that the drug is known to lower blood sugar levels in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. When prescribed as an adjuvant, it reduces the dosage of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) and insulin. Glucocin® is prescribed by many physicians as a first line of treatment for diabetes. Our R&D team is currently researching to register benefits in secondary diabetes-related complications in areas of neuropathy, nephropathy and retinal complications in patients with (NIDDM) diabetes using Glucocin®.

Cancer is a result of abnormal cell growth in the body, and once detected, various chemical drugs are administered to stop or eliminate the cell growth. However, these drugs come with a host of side effects, which include nausea, lethargy and hair loss. Herbs have been under the scanner in various research institutes internationally to find an alternative solution for the disease. Unani philosophy addresses couple of forms of cancer primarily by creating a balance of humors/Ikhlat which turns back body’s state of equilibrium. At Awami, researchers have been testing different herbal extracts and combinations to find the one that can stop the spread of cancer with no side effects. Our team is developing a medicine that will either work as an adjuvant to already available cancer therapies, or be prescribed as a first line of treatment. While the effectiveness of the drug may be at par with conventional medicine, the focus is on developing all natural formulation that is safe and free from side effects. Our formulations are currently in progress of trials on different forms of cancer, specially on liver cancer.

We have also been working on a various flavor of honey combining with few herbs to serve as a natural immune-modulator for the past five years. Rigorous research has been performed to discover the most efficacious and safe active constituent in the herb which will stimulate the immune system. Our formulation is very close to be in market.

Hepatitis and its variants is another medical condition for which formulations are under formal trials. It is a chronic disease which is affecting undoubtedly millions of people in Pakistan and is becoming top disease causing deaths. The team at Awami has been working for the past five years to find a remedy for the disease. Various core philosophies of treatment are studied along with screening of over 100 plants and minerals or a composition of herbs that possess all the therapeutic properties required to treat the disease. A unique herbal composition has shown positive results. LivPro® is in market for its proven effects in various liver ailments. Its efficacy on hepatitis C and B is in progress of Phase II clinical trials.

5. Integrated Health by Holistic Approach

In few years awareness has grown to use herbal medicines as a last resort in patients seeking treatment.

Arguably, conventional medicine is effective in treating various medical conditions. However, more often than not, chemical drugs have side effects, which can even be fatal. Despite this, patients tend to choose allopathic medication over herbal drugs because of the lack of researched, scientifically validated, safe and effective herbal medication.

Today, there is growing acceptance of integrative medicine, where traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Unani are merging into conventional medicine to provide holistic treatment regimens. Integrated medicine does not accept traditional medicine uncritically. Instead, it demands as much scientific validation from alternative medicines as it does from conventional systems of medicine. By bringing together the best of each system, integrative medicine gives patients access to healthcare based on good science, holistic therapies, and curative and preventative treatments. Herbal medicines are now being used to treat disorders like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. For diseases requiring long-term treatment, healthcare professionals, including allopathic doctors, are turning to clinically validated herbal medicines.

Herbs like Neem, Kalonji (Nigella Sativa) and Ginger are being researched for their therapeutic properties in various research centers in Pakistan and all across the world.

It has been our mission to deliver well-researched, clinically tried and tested herbal drugs to our valued customers. We have supported the thinking that a traditional system of medicine can be acceptable only when it is backed by modern scientific research.
SlimSmart®, an anti-obesity product and Awami’s flagship brand, is not only prescribed by Unani Physicians but also by allopathic doctors and homoeopathic physicians. Its not only used for treating obesity but also used as an excellent detoxifier, supportive therapy in arthritis and relieving from asthmatic conditions.
We believe that SlimSmart® attained success due to the research and scientific validation backing it.

Going forward, the shift toward integrative medicine will continue, and natural systems of medication, like Unani, will become an important part of therapy. This shift will be fuelled by the availability of scientifically validated and clinically-tested herbal medication. This will increase patient confidence in the efficacy of herbal drugs on their own or as adjuvants to allopathic medication. 

At Awami, we are committed in delivering well-researched, safe, effective and economical herbal medicine that is accessible to everyone. We believe that a synergistic approach to medicine benefits patients by providing them with more effective treatment options, helping them manage their health better and enhancing their overall quality of life.