While the Government has taken many steps to promote research in Ayurveda to develop treatment of cancer and these steps have yielded encouraging results, no guaranteed treatment has so far evolved.

The Government has set-up the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) an autonomous organization, with the mandate to undertake research in ayurvedic system of medicines and practice. The institutes under CCRAS are also engaged in extending healthcare services and research on life-style and non communicable diseases. The Central Ayurveda Research Institute for Cancer (CARIC) in Worli, Mumbai, especially, is carrying out some pioneering work in this area.

The Ministry of AYUSH through its research organizations, including CCRAS has launched a programme to integrate Ayurveda with the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

The major objective of the programme is prevention and early diagnosis of these diseases, reducing complications, and reducing drug dependency through these systems. It also aims towards capacity building for human resource development.

An Indo-US workshop on Traditional Medicine with special focus on cancer was organized in New Delhi on 3-4 March, 2016. A US team comprising of experts from National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Health (NIH) took part in the two day exhaustive deliberations that have resulted into significant leads.

The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has granted 200 patents for medicines/ formulations related to Ayurvedic/herbal/plant based products and processes. 22 patents have been granted to foreign entities for medicines/formulation related to Ayurvedic /herbal /plant based products and processes. At present applications under consideration of CGPDTM is 270.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in written reply to a question in RajyaSabha today.