Covid-19: Iwu to commence clinical trial of herbal preparation

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 8:37 am

Professor Maurice Iwu: to begin clinical trial of herbal COVID-19 Vaccine

Professor Maurice Iwu: to begin clinical trial of herbal COVID-19 drug

Richard Elesho

Researchers are unrelenting in efforts to understand and find a lasting solution to Coronavirus disease pandemic. One of them, Prof Maurice Iwu, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced his readiness to begin clinical trial of Artemisinin, a new herbal preparation against the virus.

Iwu, said he has obtained approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to conduct the trials on COVID-19 subjects using the herbal supplement.

New Telegraph reports that Iwu, a Professor of Pharmacognosy, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja, while delivering his keynote address on the commemoration of the 2021 African Traditional Medicine (ATM), organised by the Head of Department, Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines (TCAM), Federal Ministry of Health.

He said: “We have also obtained all necessary ethics approvals. The primary objective is to observe and evaluate safety of Artemisinin a herbal supplement on COVID-19 subjects, while, the secondary objective is to observe and evaluate efficacy of Artemisinin – a herbal supplement – on COVID-19 subjects.”

Minister of State for Health, Sen. Adeleke Mamora, who appreciated the roles of modern traditional medicine practitioners in the country, said that the ministry was currently working towards reviewing the traditional medicine policy.

The WHO representative, Dr. Kofi Boateng EPI Focal Point, Universal Health Coverage (UHC), said the WHO recognises that complementary and alternative traditional medicine has many benefits when properly harnessed, adding that research into traditional medicines was an effort in the right direction.