The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has announced it has approved a herbal medicine - Cryptolepis sanguinolenta - locally known as Nibima for clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19, after a "detailed assessment".
The outfit in a communiqué issued on Monday, February 1, 2021, and signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Delese A.A. Darko said the approval was granted in January 2021.
“In the search for a treatment for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the School of Public Health at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), submitted a clinical trial application in September 2020 to assess the safety and efficacy of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta as a potential treatment for COVID-19. This follows results from laboratory studies conducted by the KNUST research team which points in the direction of possible clinical benefits," it read.
“The FDA after a detailed assessment of the application gave the requisite regulatory authority for the conduct of the trial as per the mandate outlined under Part 8 (Section 150-166) of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851), which gives the Authority the legal mandate to regulate clinical trials of drugs, herbal medicinal products, cosmetics or medical devices. The trial will be at two sites," it further stated.
Case count
The country's case count continues to surge leading to the re-introduction of some measures as the government hopes to curb the spread and protect lives. While the death toll stands at 416 following the demise of 64 in two weeks, the average daily rates of infection now stand at 700, compared to 200 two weeks ago.