Sabinsa has been granted a patent in South Africa and Singapore as part of its PCT application on “Process of preparing water soluble diterpenes and their applications”. In particular the patent covers applications of Forskolin solubilized in water using the Sabinsa’s platform technology. High insolubility of Forskolin in water (<0.001% w/w)

remained a major obstacle for developing stable aqueous solution. Sabinsa’s technical innovation has increased this solubility by about 6000 times in water making a range of applications possible especially eyedrops for controlling intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. Dr. Muhammed Majeed said, “This product has gone through clinical trials successfully in India and approved by Drugs controller of India for clinical use in glaucoma patients. Our international patents will help us scouting for a partner for this product to realize its full potential in a global scenario. The novel mechanism of action of this product different from existing drugs for this condition will differentiate our product with additional benefits and reduced side effects.”

Forskolin is an extract prepared from the herb Coleus Forskohlii, a member of the mint family of plants that grows wild in some parts of India. In some areas people grow it and use it to make pickle. In recent years, it has gained importance as the only source of Forskolin. Sami Labs has got a US patent for the preparation of Forskolin from Coleus Forskohlii. The Drugs Controller General of India has granted permission to Sami Labs Limited, Bangalore to manufacture and market a new drug for Glaucoma. The drug, Forskolin 1% Ophthalmic Solution, with the brand name Ocufors, is the first drug to be approved from natural sources, a first of its kind in India.

About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressively degenerative disease of the optic nerve, usually caused by an increased pressure inside the eye. It is estimated that about 12 million people in India are affected by this disease accounting for 12.8 per cent of the blindness in the country. Glaucoma is a major cause of blindness in the world. It is more seen in developing countries, affecting about 67 million people worldwide. Glaucoma is a silent killer of vision and there are no obvious symptoms to detect it at earlier stages.