Sharat Pradhan

Lucknow, March 6:

A drug extracted from the leaves and branches of a tree found mostly in the upper reaches of the Himalayas could hold a ray of hope for cancer patients.

Scientists at the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) have been working hard to develop a drug from extracts of leaves and branches of the Taxus Wallachiana that is expected to bring about a revolution in the treatment of the disease.

'Clinical trials had shown extremely encouraging results and it may not be long before the drug is brought out in the market,' CIMAP director SPS Khanuja said.

He said the process being developed at CIMAP involved the synthesis of leaves and twigs to form the basic molecular structure for preparing the drug.

While earlier it was just the tree, scientists at CIMAP have now discovered that its leaves and twigs could also be put to use.