In an effort to further the cause of research and science in herbal healthcare, Himalaya has signed a research partnership with Ras Al Khaima Medical Health & Science University, a leading university in UAE.

RAKMHSU is a novel university which has received accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), under the Ministry of Higher Education in the UAE. It has state-of-the-art facilities and is attached to 2 large hospitals. RAKMHSU has an international profile and enjoys access to vast academic resources through international tie-ups and alliances.

The purpose of the agreement is to promote joint research collaboration in the field of herbal medicine. The broad areas of collaboration include clinical trails, joint conferences, faculty and student exchange programs, and joint research and publications.

Signing the MOU Dr S. Gurumadhya Rao, Vice chancellor RAKMHSU said “Within the Ras Al Khaimah area and throughout the Gulf there is a plethora of potent plant life. Ideally, our working together discover ingredients that will form future products based upon nature that will improve the quality of life for many in UAE”.

Initially Himalaya will conduct clinical trials for its present range of pharmaceutical formulations. The second phase of research will focus on herbs and plant material available locally in UAE.

The Himalaya-RAKMHSU partnership will also focus on research in the following areas-

• Identifying plants in the UAE and researching their therapeutic activity
• Identifying major health concerns within the local populations and developing herbal treatment options for the same (also conducting clinical trials) / skewed towards drug discovery
• The areas of research include Kidney stones/urinary tract infections, obesity etc.

This business-academic collaboration will help Himalaya create Centers of Research Excellence to facilitate innovative research which is both useful and practical.

Within the global pharmaceutical industry, partnerships with universities are becoming an important means to further critical research and discover new drugs. Such outreach programs provide Pharma companies access to vast knowledge base, fresh ideas and new concepts for tackling diseases.