According to the company's press release, ARL has completed the preclinical studies of the drug and it is now ready for clinical evaluation.

The company now seeks to formulate a drug which will have higher bio-availability, higher efficacy and minimum side effects for treatment of viruses like Human Herpes virus, Varivella zoster virus, Chickenguniya and Chicken Pox.

Dr B Arvind Shah, MD and CEO, Arvind Remedies, said, "After three years of extensive research with the combined efforts of our R&D team and various other renowned institutes under the MoU, we are happy to announce our success in completing the preclinical studies of the antiviral agent that can fight diseases like Human Herpes, Chickenguniya and Chicken Pox."

"We have filed the patent for this drug and our next step is to undertake clinical studies as per global regulatory requirements," he further added.

According to Prof Rajarajan, Principal Investigator of the Project, said, "The isolated drug from botanical source has been proved to be an effective antiviral drug and is also safe both in in-vitro and in-vivo models."

Earlier in 2010, Arvind Remedies entered into an MoU with the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, Presidency College, Department of Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University and Indian Institute of Integrative Medicines, Jammu, to undertake research for the development of antiviral agent from a compound isolated from botanical source and now the successful completion of the preclinical research would open new avenues towards growth moving forward.