The Indian government has blocked plans to promote and sell a herbal-based product that claims to "cure" coronavirus.

Patanjali Ayurved, a big consumer goods company in India set up by a popular yoga guru, said that it had found the "cure" after conducting research on plants used in traditional medicine.

"We conducted a controlled clinical study on 95 patients," company founder, Baba Ramdev, said.

The trial was reportedly carried out at the National Institute of Medical Science and Research, based in Rajasthan state.
But official records suggest that this institute has limited experience in conducting drug research, according to reports. Also, the research had reportedly not been peer-reviewed before it was publicised as a cure.

The product has also yet to go through the proper regulatory processes, leading the Indian authorities to demand more information about the product and the research involved.

Experts say claims of cures for coronavirus need to be treated with caution until the evidence has been properly evaluated.
"There have already been numerous grand claims in relation to Covid-19 around cures and vaccines, and none as yet has been justified," Dr Michael Head, a global health expert at the University of Southampton, said.