India has launched a first-of-its-kind global clinical study to scientifically evaluate traditional Ayurveda as an add-on to standard tuberculosis (TB) treatment, marking a significant step in the country’s push for integrative, evidence-based TB care. The initiative seeks to determine whether an Ayurvedic regimen, when combined with modern anti-TB drugs and nutritional support, can improve recovery, nutritional status and quality of life for patients, while maintaining safety and tolerability.
The multi-centre study will enrol 1,250 newly diagnosed TB patients across eight premier institutions, including AIIMS, JIPMER and NEIGRIHMS, over 24 months. Participants will receive standard anti-tuberculosis treatment alongside a defined Ayurveda regimen and macronutrient supplementation, with investigators tracking changes in body weight, nutritional outcomes, disease progression, quality of life, safety and treatment tolerance. Researchers aim to generate robust clinical evidence on whether this integrative approach can accelerate recovery and help patients regain strength more effectively than conventional care alone.
Announcing the study on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, Union Minister Jitendra Singh framed it as a milestone in the convergence of modern biotechnology and traditional knowledge systems. He noted that many TB patients continue to struggle with weakness, weight loss and poor quality of life even after microbiological cure, highlighting an unmet need for supportive and host-directed therapies that go beyond simply clearing infection. “Even after successful treatment, many TB patients continue to experience weakness, weight loss, and compromised quality of life, underlining the need for supportive and host-directed therapies,” Singh said at the launch.
India currently accounts for nearly one quarter of the global TB burden, though the country has reported a decline in incidence to around 187 cases per one lakh population in 2024, representing a 21 per cent reduction since 2015. Officials say the new study aligns with an “ambitious and accelerated” national pathway towards TB elimination, which has emphasised early diagnosis, universal drug susceptibility testing, digital adherence tools and patient-centric support under the National TB Elimination Programme.
The clinical trial is being carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in May 2022 to advance integrative and evidence-based healthcare. Led by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in partnership with DBT, the study’s protocol has gone through expert consultations, scientific design, and regulatory and ethics approvals before rollout. An overview presented by CCRAS Director General Prof Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya and BRIC-National Institute of Immunology Director Dr Debasisa Mohanty detailed the study’s objectives and endpoints, centred on efficacy, safety and tolerability when Ayurveda is used as adjunct therapy with standard anti-TB treatment and nutrition.
Singh said India’s rich Ayurvedic heritage offers “unique opportunities” for interventions that can bolster nutrition, immunity and holistic recovery, provided these are validated through rigorous science. He added that the launch of this collaborative clinical study reflects a commitment to “science-led, evidence-based innovation” that integrates modern biomedical research with time-tested traditional systems in a patient-centric manner. By systematically evaluating an Ayurveda-based regimen in a controlled setting, policy makers hope to build a stronger evidence base that can inform future TB care guidelines in India and potentially in other high-burden countries.
The trial’s findings are expected to shed light on whether integrative regimens can meaningfully address TB-associated cachexia, improve functional recovery and enhance day-to-day wellbeing beyond what is achieved through standard drug therapy alone. If the results are positive, officials suggest the model could be scaled within the public health system as part of India’s broader effort to combine innovation, nutrition support and community-centred care in its mission to eliminate TB.
