A two-day national seminar on the development of herbal drugs and Industry in Pakistan is being organised by the Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Riphah International University at Al-Mizan Islamic International Medical College Complex here from Friday.
The main objective of the seminar is to bring various stakeholders under one roof for the development of herbal drugs in Pakistan on scientific lines along-with problems being faced by the related industry.
Though medicinal plants have been used since antiquity for the cure and treatment of various diseases inflicting human beings, the synthetic era of drug pushed these into the back burner. Lately, however there has been a great resurgence in the use of herbal remedies all over the world.
Pakistan has a rich heritage of traditional medicines and there is a great wealth of medicinal plants in the country. Around 6,000 species are reported to be available in Pakistan. These resources offer a great potential for the development of herbal-based drugs and industry on scientific bases in the country.
The seminar will help explore the possibilities of developing new therapeutic agents to cure various diseases by the Traditional Healers. It will also help explore the export potential of standardised herbs and herbal extracts besides meeting the local demands.