Mr. Nguyen Cong Thang (Ben Luc district - Long An province) wrote, “On October 19, 2005 I went to Long An hospital for health examination and ultrasound. Doctor recorded that my prostate size was enlarged (45x35mm). After taking Eastern medicine for 2 months, the results did not change. I went to HCM Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Institute for health examination and ultrasound again, doctors also recorded the same disease with size of 47x35x43 mm and told me to take CRILA with dosage of 8 capsules per day. After taking this medicine for 8 weeks, my urinary condition was improved. Although I still had benign prostatic hyperplasia, its size reduced to 43x35x32 mm. I continued to take 10 capsules per day for one more month. When testing ultrasound, doctors recorded the prostate size was reduced to 29x35x26 mm. The conclusion recorded my prostate turned to normal size with streamed and comfortable urination. So that, I have taken CRILA for 5 months (with one month off) without any side effects.”
Ms. Cao Thu Lan, living in Hoa Thuan district, Da Nang city wrote, "... I knew I had uterine fibroids with tumor size of 73x49x51 mm and was indicated to surgery on September 29, 2005 ... Early October 2005, accidentally reading about CRILA extracted from Crinum latifolium L., I bought 3 boxes and took 10 capsules per day. After one month and a half, I used ultrasound again on November 21, 2005 and the first result was unexpected, tumor size was much smaller (28x34 mm). I was very happy and the first person that I was so grateful to was you, who devoted all your life to the medicinal plants to cure diseases for many people like me ...”
There are many other letters left saying thanks to Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram and her colleagues who studied and produced CRILA capsule from the Crilum latifolium L. leaves.
To have CRILA from Crinum latifolium L. of today, it took her over ten years to study, from searching for the precious traditional medicinal plants named Royal Virgin - a plant belonging to Amaryllidaceae family, cultivating under clean process and stable quality, to manufacturing and applying it.
During the period of post-study abroad in Bulgaria, she was able to join in a team of researchers to extract active substances from medicinal plants, which can stimulate the immune system (T lymphocytes’ development and activities to support cancer treatment). Returning to Vietnam, she continued to formulate hard capsules from dried extract of total alkaloids from Crinum latifolium L. and tested the biological effects of this plant in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. The project has been approved by the Ministry of Health. Because the laboratory condition in the country is poor, she asked for government’s permission to take dried extract of total alkaloids from Crinum latifolium L. to Bulgaria for studying. She worked with scientists from some institutes and universities; such as Doctor in science D. Fuchs (Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry on active substances against cancer and AIDS; Prof. Academician Simon Popov, E. Zvetkova to research extraction process and to verify alkaloids’ composition and chemical structure. While working with them, she verified optimal process to extract alkaloids inhibiting growth of cancer cells. These results were approved in Vietnam. In 2001, her research was accepted and highly appraised by the Ministry of Health, which also encouraged her to continue studying the biological effects and formulate capsules from dried extract of total alkaloids from Crinum latifolium L. in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. That is CRILA capsule.
After the test on hamsters and then small-scale clinical trials on human, the results were that the average weight of prostate reduces by 35.8% on hamster and approximately 60% on human. With equivalent dose, the price of CRILA is a half cheaper than that of foreign drugs and has no undesirable effects and interaction effects.
The significance of the study to formulate CRILA capsule opened a new direction in treatment for incurable diseases by stimulating the immune system with drugs extracted from herbal medicine with limited toxicity, combination of chemotherapy and surgery to support cancer patients.
In the comment of the Council of Science and Technology – Prof. Doctor in science - Nguyen Van Dip on the subject, ‘Evaluation of CRILA’s effect on treating BPH’. It was written that ‘The BHP treatment of CRILA is a scientific project having practical value in using effectively domestic herbal medicine in treatment with high safety. Research methodology of clinical trials intervention in accordance with scientific criteria provides reliable results. The research results showed that, after 2 months of treatment with CRILA under IPSS scale and quality of life, indicators are clearly improved; prostate volume reduces, some biological indicators have no change in medication process ... “Prof. Dr. People's Teacher - Pham Thanh Ky - President of the project clinical trials stage 2 on CRILA evaluated that ‘The research project met the practical and scientific requirement when the incidence of patients suffering uterine fibroids is increasing. With scientific research method, reliable research results, the drug has no influence on liver and kidneys’ function or minimal side effects ...”
CRILA for treating BPH was allowed nationwide circulation by the Drug Administration in Vietnam under the Decision No. VNB-3391-05. CRILA capsule is sold in pharmacies throughout our country. CRILA capsule is awarded the title “Good quality product for the community’s health” (reward decision signed on May 26, 2006). The Ministry of Trade certified it as "Qualified and Reputable Company in Vietnam 2006". The Ministry of Health, Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations presented Gold Medal for “Safe medicine product for quality of life" (November 20, 2006 in Hanoi).