Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 5 / by Umid Niayesh, Trend
Iran exports $20 million worth of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment drugs to Russia, Iranians Health Minister, Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi said, Mehr news agency reported on Nov. 5.
He did not unveil exact details about the time when the drug is exported.
Qazizadeh Hashemi also underlined that Iran plans to increase the figure to $100 million in the future, adding that currently Iran's total MS drug exports` value reaches $25 million.
He expressed hope that Iran's share from world drug market will be increased.
Iran itself suffers from multiple sclerosis, which, according to statements, reports and studies, is developing in the country.
Deputy chairman of the Iran Multiple Sclerosis Society, Mohammad Ali Saraian said in May that multiple sclerosis is developing among youth in Iran. He said that compared to 10 years ago, multiple sclerosis in the country has increased, judging by the people who come for treatment.
Saraian noted that mostly the cases of multiple sclerosis have increased in such cities as Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan. Despite the fact that some Iranian sources claim there are some 50,000 multiple sclerosis patients in Iran, Saraian noted that there are no exact statistics on the disease.
Previously, Saraian said that Iran will be releasing new oral Multiple sclerosis treatment on the local markets in October of 2013.
In January 2013, Iranian television reported that scholars from the Tabriz Medical Research University have prepared an herbal substance which can completely cure multiple sclerosis.
The medicament is called "MS Nut" (Nutrition) and made of special oil plants. It is delivered in syrup form.
The scholars have been working to prepare the treatment for two and a half years. The medicament was tested on 100 multiple sclerosis patients. 65 of them completed the treatment. Most patients fully recovered, but those with more advanced forms of the disease were unable to.
According to the information, the period of treatment with "MS Nut" lasts from six months to a year. The treatment has been already licensed in Iran.
According to Iranian media, the number of multiple sclerosis patients has increased in Iran in recent years. Environmental factors are behind the wide spread nature of the disease.
If multiple sclerosis continues to spread so rapidly, in ten years every Iranian family will have one member with multiple sclerosis, the information said.