October 11, 2022 — Several technologies on herbal drugs and formulations and medical devices and technologies that respond to the urgent needs of Filipino patients were showcased at the recent Teknolusugan event and pitched to industry partners for potential scaling up and commercialization. This event was organized by the Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) last August 9-10, 2022.
For its outstanding technology outputs, the TTBDO received a Platinum Award from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) on April 18, 2022. This is the highest recognition given by IPOPHL for the country’s 2021 top and high-performing Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) under the ITSO 2.0 Program.
Herbal Drugs and Formulations
Lagundi for COVID-19
Dr. Cecilia C. Maramba-Lazarte, director of Institute of Herbal Medicine (IHM) UPM-NIH, discussed the results of the randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on 200 patients in 77 quarantine centers in Metro Manila to test the effectiveness of lagundi in improving the symptoms of patients with COVID-19. The results showed that there was improvement in the overall symptom score faster than placebo, especially for anosmia or lack of smell, with minimal side effects. She added that because of the result of the study, it is now included in the home care kit in Quezon City and other local government units and in the home care kit of PhilHealth.
Tsaang Gubat Syrup as Antispasmodic
Dr. Jaime M. Purificacion of the IHM pointed out that antispasmodics used in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis cause untoward side effects such as heartburn, constipation, dry mouth, and difficulty in passing urine. He asserted that based on the studies conducted, Tsaang gubat syrup was shown to be comparable and not inferior to other antispasmodic drugs with rare to no side effects and would only cost 30 pesos per 60 mL bottle.
Ampalaya Tablet for Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Daisy-Mae A. Bagaoisan also from IHM presented the ampalaya tablet-NIRPROMP formulation that has completed phase 1, 2, and 3 randomized double-blind clinical trials on more than 400 diabetic patients. Results showed that the ampalaya tablet was comparable to glibenclamide in reducing fasting plasma glucose by week 3 and decreasing glycosylated hemoglobin after 12 weeks of treatment. The ampalaya tablet has been reformulated with a higher concentration of active ingredient to give the product a competitive advantage over other oral hypoglycemic agents on the market.
Akapulco Lotion for Fungal Infections
Dr. Lazarte discussed the results of the randomized clinical trial that showed the efficacy and safety of acapulco (Senna alata or Cassia Alata) lotion versus sodium thiosulfate that has been found to be an effective and safe herbal medicine for the treatment of fungal skin infections.
Hemoxyther: Non-Heme Iron Supplement as Anti-Anemic
Erna C. Arollado, PhD from UP College of Pharmacy said that based on the clinical study of the patients who used Hemoxyther (Alternanthera sessilis) capsules, an increase in hemoglobin count was observed and concluded that Hemoxyther capsule is a noninvasive and cheaper treatment for hematologic disorders.
Mosquito Repellent
Dr. Gracia Fe B. Yu from the College of Medicine explained that existing mosquito repellents are diethyltoluamide or DEET-based topical lotions that could have adverse side effects like minor skin irritation or severe epidermal reactions. She presented a mosquito repellent oil, which they named the GBY (God Bless You) Oil, from plant samples with anti-mosquito bioactivity. The pre-clinical trial skin irritation tests show that the GBY oil is negative for toxicity.
Anti-dengue Preparations
Prof. Yu presented two anti-dengue virus formulations—the DenV tea and DenV capsule. They are formulated from extracts of the plant they named as DNG 3C. According to the test results, the plant extract has a very potent inhibitory activity against dengue virus 2; hence can be an effective therapeutic treatment for dengue infection.
Anti-oxidant Healthy Preparations
Prof. Yu presented the GBY antioxidant-rich sports drink containing calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. She claimed that the GBY sports drink was formulated from a food plant which had been discovered to have potent antioxidant properties.
Medical Devices and Technologies
Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR)
Dr. Samuel Arsenio M. Grozman of the Department of Orthopedics presented the PAPR, a respirator type of personal protective equipment that protects the user by filtering out contaminants in the air and uses a battery-operated blower to provide the user with clean air through a tight-fitting respirator, a loose-fitting hood, or a helmet. The team designed a locally made PAPR with an added function— breath responsiveness, meaning it responds to the different oxygen requirements of the user.
Telepresence: Bot for Ensuring Safety and Health in Isolated Environments
Dr. Nataniel S. Orillaza Jr., also from the Department of Orthopedics, presented their innovation called My BESHIE, which stands for MY Bot Ensuring Safety and Health in Isolated Environments. This is a telepresence device that enables a person to mimic some aspects of being present from another remote location. It is useful to represent a person in an area where it is impractical or even dangerous to visit, especially during the early part of the pandemic when health workers needed to limit contact with patients.
HARAL DX: Digital Histologic Analysis Software for Hirschsprung’s Disease
Dr. Alvin B. Caballes from the Dept. of Surgery discussed Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) which is a congenital condition that leads to intestinal obstruction, severe infection, and other life-threatening complications. The diagnosis of this disease is by histologic determination on an intestinal biopsy specimen; however, the actual interpretation of specimens can be challenging. The search is on for better ways, particularly computer-based technologies, to diagnose HD. Dr. Caballes described the image analysis software they developed that can diagnose the disease through digital images and machine learning.
Agapay Rehabilitation Device
The Agapay Rehabilitation Device was presented by Dr. Renann Baldovino, project leader of Agapay DLSU. Agapay is a Tagalog word for assist or to help. Agapay is a wearable robotic exoskeleton for upper extremity rehabilitation of post-stroke or injured patients. The technology was developed together with clinical investigators from the UP Manila PGH namely, Dr. Jose Alvin P. Mojica, Dr. Christopher S. Constantino, and Dr. Lorraine Faeldon.
DEFA1 and CFI Marker as Leptospirosis Predictor and Prognosticator
Dr. Jose B. Nevado Jr., of the College of Medicine, presented the DEFA1 and CFI marker as Leptospirosis predictor and prognosticator. Leptospirosis is a deadly bacterial disease caused by a spiral-like bacteria that enters through breaks in the skin; and is seen not only in the Philippines but in the whole world. The technology they developed, which they named LEPTOpredict, is composed of RT-PCR assay reagents which will not only diagnose leptospirosis but also detect those who will develop complications. He added that this kind of technology could be extended to other conditions, such as sepsis and tuberculosis.
E-MED EMR
Jose Rafael Marfori, MD, special assistant to the PGH Director, lamented the patients’ fragmented healthcare experience with the patients responsible for tying together their own medical history rather than the healthcare providers working together for its recording and consolidation. The E-MED EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is designed for universal healthcare, especially for primary care in the work setting, to provide network-integrated care by generating a clinical picture that ties together all the different forms of patient information to be made available at their fingertips.
Peptide-based Antigenic Constructs recognized by Immunoglobulins that Bind to Protein Epitopes of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2): M1
Dr. Fresthel Monica M. Climacosa, from the College of Public Health, discussed how the COVID-19 response has highlighted the need and opportunity for developing diagnostics and vaccines utilizing pathogen-associated proteins. However, production of the said proteins for immunodiagnostics and prophylactic applications is problematic because it entails safety issues related to the handling of potentially biohazardous reduced materials. Hence, their invention provides peptide-based antigenic constructs.
Pocket Rehab
Dr. Angelo Marasigan of the PGH Department of Rehabilitation Medicine presented the Pocket Rehab, a portable, low-cost, and locally developed device for non-invasive motion tracking which can enable remote rehabilitation service delivery. It uses a customized smartphone application for exercises connected via Bluetooth to a lightweight wearable device. This device can then track a patient’s joint performance and register a body segment’s kinematics, providing feedback on movements across all planes.
VR Neuro: System for Screening Neurological Disorders
Francis Gregory R. Samonte, MD, a pediatric and adult neurologist, presented the virtual reality device for cognitive screening. He explained that the software and the program are attached to the phone and the phone is placed into the virtual reality device. The person looks at the screen where he or she can do different functions. He added that they are also developing the use of virtual reality gloves so that the assessment can include motor skills based on fine and gross motor movements.
Charmaine Lingdas
