According to statistics, in Europe, the rate of men over 40 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is 80.1%. In Vietnam, that rate increases with age, for example, that of men at the age of 50 is 63.8%, and of men between 75 and 79 is 76.93%. Before the appearance of Crila capsule, no medicine was truly effective in the treatment for this disease completely. In folklore, a remedy for BPH, uterine fibroids, and breast tumors was decocting ‘Royal Virgin’ leaves. In fact, there have been some researches on testing treatment effects of Crinum latifolium L. At Oncology Hospital, stomach cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy were tested in combination with ‘Royal Virgin’ leaves in order to enhance body resistance because ‘Royal Virgin’ hot aqueous extract has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, stimulate activities and development of lymphocytes T cells. This work was also studied by Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Synthesis University of Innsbruck, Austria and was published on the International Journal of Medicine. Crinum latifolium L. (its scientific name is Crinum latifolium L.) is broadleaf Crinum genus, Amaryllidaceae family and is often called Toi loi or Thai leek.
Since 1990, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram combined traditional experiences with modern research methods and continued focusing deeply on studying and extracting bioactive alkaloids that have ability to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in order to make a convenient capsule for patients. Dr. Tram has sought and collected Crinum latifolium L. seeds from imperial capital Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, then took them to Ho Chi Minh City for domesticating, cultivating, and formulating in Crinum latifolium L. tea form. Shortly afterwards, Crinum latifolium L. tea was allowed for nationwide circulation by Vietnam's Administration for Food Safety and Hygiene Department...Along with Prof. Dr. Do Tat Loi, Dr. Tram has completed the classification, identification, description and distinction between Crinum latifolium L. and other Crinum plants in Vietnam. Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram had 3 research works carried out at ministry level including “Research of accomplishment of total Alkaloid-extraction technology process from Crinum latilfolium L. leaves to use as raw materials producing medicine for BPH”, “Research of hard capsule formulation from total alkaloids of Crinum latifolium L. and test biopharmaceutical effects in treatment for prostatic fibroids”, “Evaluation of treatment effect of Crila medicine from Crinum latifolium L. on treating BPH”. The results of the study were conducted with scientists at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
From the results of three above projects/works, on August 9, 2005, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 2770 QD-BYT for clinical trials stage 3, according to the Regulation No. 371 (of the Ministry) in some major hospitals such as National Hospital of Traditional Medicine, Ho Chi Minh Hospital of Traditional Medicine, and Vietnam National Institute of Gerontology. The results showed that Crila capsule from Crinum latifolium L. has effectiveness on improving the level of urinary disorder in BPH patients; the rate of patients with reducing size is 89.18% of which 33.3% have gland size turn back to normal after 2 months of treatment and especially with no (little) side effects. It is worth mentioning that in addition to positive treatment effect, price of Crila from Crinum latifolium L. is only 50% of that of imported products. Besides, the effect of Crila from Crinum latifolium L. opened a new way in treatment for patients with incurable diseases by stimulating the immune system with medicine derived from medicinal plants available in VN with less toxicity, along with surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy to support cancer treatment.
On July 21, 2005, Director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam issued Decision No. 135/QĐ-QLD that allowed Crila for nationwide circulation with registration number VNB-3391-05.
The process that Crila capsule was undergone clinical trials on patients with uterine fibroids at the National Maternity Hospital, Tu Du Maternity Hospital, and Ho Chi Minh Hospital of Traditional Medicine is reaching to 70% and going to have results soon.