ASCOF Lagundi - medicine for cough and asthma: a pure Filipino product

As interest in phytomedicines continues to grow, both patients and physicians alike are searching for new products that are as reliable as traditional alternatives, based on their quality, safety, and efficacy.

In the Philippines, the leading proponent of phytomedicines is backed by a company with 63 years of experience in the field of pharmaceuticals, the Pascual Laboratories, Inc. who introduced to the country an organic and all-natural cough and asthma remedy, ASCOF Lagundi, derived from the lagundi plant (Vitex negundo L.) and now available in syrup, tablet, and capsule forms.

Raw Material

Lagundi (Vitex negundo L.) leaves is the main component of the ASCOF Lagundi cough and asthma medicine. It is a large native shrub that grows in the Philippines. Lagundi has been traditionally used as herbal medicine by Philippine folks. Filipino mothers would boil freshly-picked green leaves and strain them to produce an herbal tea, which is then given to an ailing member of the family. The efficacy of Lagundi has also been verified by the Philippine Department of Health and other Philippine based scientists which concentrated on its use to ease respiratory complaints.

Lagundi is generally used for the treatment of coughs, asthma symptoms, and other respiratory problems. It is also known for its analgesic effect that helps alleviate pain and discomfort. Other traditional benefits that are derived from the use of Lagundi are as follows:

• relief of asthma & pharyngitis
• recommended relief of rheumatism, dyspepsia, boils, diarrhea
• treatment of cough, colds, fever and flu and other bronchopulmonary disorders
• alleviate symptoms of chicken pox
• removal of worms, and boils

History, Manufacturing and Marketing

During World War II, the country was devastated and, as a result, many Filipinos fell ill and were badly in need of medicine. It was sometime in 1946 that the husband-and-wife team of Isosceles and Leonora Pascual, who both graduated from the University of the Philippines with degrees in Chemistry, put up Pascual Laboratories in a single-room facility in their home on Balut, Tondo. Together, they developed products to treat tuberculosis and vitamin deficiency—two of the most pressing health concerns back then—in order to help thousands of people all over the country.

Eight years later, they produced antibiotics, as well as cardiovascular medicines. At about the same time, Pascuallab changed from a single proprietorship to a corporation, and strategic partnerships were formed with foreign-based principals. In the 1970s the manufacturing plant moved from Tondo to Bulacan and its head office was established in Edsa, where the marketing and distribution of products were devolved to Pharex.

Through the years, the effectiveness of Lagundi was proven through intensive studies in modern medicine led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Recognizing the efficacy of Lagundi as a natural remedy for cough and asthma, Pascual Laboratories (PascualLab), in collaboration with the National Integrated Research Program of Medicinal Plants (NIRPROMP) introduced ASCOF Lagundi as the first herbal medicine in the country in 1996. Licensed by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and DOST.

This became the company’s major thrust. A major reorganization happened at Pascual, wherein Metro Drug was assigned as product distributor, Pharex was appointed to market the Pascuallab generic products, and the Consumer Products Division was established. ASCOF Lagundi is currently the most successful phytomedicine (or plant-based therapeutic product) in the Philippines.

The initial production of ASCOF Lagundi that began over a decade ago was done through a technology transfer from the DOST and NIRPROMP. This made it possible for PascualLab to manufacture quality medicine from organic lagundi leaves. ASCOF Lagundi is currently the most successful phytomedicine (or plant-based therapeutic product) in the Philippines. Syrups, capsules, and tablets are available in drugstores nationwide.

Product Description and Indication

ASCOF Lagundi tablet and syrup is the only extensively researched and clinically proven natural medicine for cough and asthma in the Philippines. ASCOF Lagundi is natural. 

• Made from 100% Lagundi leaves which were nurtured organically in a quality-certified farm untainted by synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• ASCOF Lagundi is safe. 
• No side effects were reported in the clinical trials for the syrup.
• No known contraindications.
• No risk of overdose. 

ASCOF Lagundi is clinically-proven effective. ASCOF Lagundi relieves cough through a "three way alis-ubo action": 

• Bronchodilating effect (lumuluwag)
• Mucolytic (natutunaw)
• Anti-histaminic / Cough Relief (gumiginhawa)

And since it is natural, you won't experience the harmful side effects of common chemical cough and asthma drugs.

It is used for the relief of cough due to common colds and flu. It also used in the treatment of bronchospasm in acute bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis & other bronchopulmonary disorder. It is also prescribed for the relief of reversible, mild to moderate bronchospasm (prophylactic/maintenance medication) in adults & children w/ obstructive airway disease.

Current Thrust

Today, the company is into backward integration through the planting, harvesting and processing of herbal medicines in its certified organic farm in Nueva Ecija. PascualLab is the only local pharmaceutical company in the country today with an advanced herbal research facility that is tasked to study and develop technology for phytomedicines, thereby opening up a world of possibilities in the future of healthcare. "With our second-generation technology, our production process is more efficient and more standardized, ensuring that ASCOF’s phytoactive contents are consistent in every batch that is produced. It is now the second-largest Filipino pharmaceutical company that has been providing employment to families, and has broken into the Top 10 of the largest pharmaceutical companies operating in the Philippines based on a pharmaceutical and health-care report during the first and second quarters of 2009.

PascualLab takes quality care to the next level by developing more advanced production technologies for ASCOF. It’s Herbal R&D and Product & Process Development team collaborates with independent medical and research institutions and consultants both here and abroad, to continuously improve its products. PascualLab is committed to intensify its researches on lagundi, and is set to launch new product innovations within the year.

Source: http://ascof.com.ph

            http://medicalhealthguide.com

            http://www.science.ph

            http://alum.up.edu.ph

            http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph