Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), has called for the development of home grown alternative drugs to increase access to healthcare delivery in the country.
Salako made the call at the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Virucidine Liquid Evaluation Presentation and Book Launch, held at NIMR on Tuesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Virucidine Liquid is an herbal drug produced at the ABUAD for the treatment of COVID-19.
NAN reports that the drug is produced from a plant called Kalanchoe Pinnata, traditional used for the management of various ailment in South-Western Nigerian and reputed to have some antiviral activities.
Kalanchoe Pinnata is commonly known as cathedral bells, air plant, life plant, miracle leaf, or Goethe plant and ewe abamoda or odundun in Yoruba and odaa opue in Ibo.
Salako said the COVID-19 drug, produced from Kalanchoe pinnata, was evaluated for its safety and effect on COVID-19 among adults.
“We are making the presentation of the evaluation for the public to know about the preparation made by ABUAD.
“It is very important as a country to develop our in-house alternative grassroot drugs and the level of treatment must be brought forward and develop to ensure more access to health,”he said.
The D-G said the institute was able to validate the claims made by ABUAD on the Virucidine Liquid drug through different phases of trials to determine the safety and efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19.
“The evaluation claims on ABUAD COVID-19 drugs started a year ago, with the phase one trial where we tested the extract on human cell to determine it’s toxicity.
“We find out if it can prevent the virus from attacking the cells and whether it can also reduce the capacity of the virus to continuously cause damage to the human cells and this were things that we found that the extract did.
“We took it to a small clinical trial (early stage clinical trials) which is called Proof-of-concept (or PoC) and we found out that people who took the ABUAD liquid became negative within three days compared to the standard time.
“We saw that it was something that needed to be pursued and hope that they will be able to provide fund to conduct a larger clinical trial,” he said.
Speaking also, Prof. Ayodeji Ajayi, a member of the Board of Trustee of ABUAD, said the project was a milestone for the institution by changing the way things were done in the country.
“The is a major milestone for us because we came to NIMR to validate what we have done and establish the safety and efficacy of the drug to treat COVID-19.
“It shows that the university has a philosophy that is weaved around imparting the society through research and create opportunities for others in the future.
“We have a lot of other things in the pipeline and we will also bring them to NIMR for validation for the benefit of the country.
Ajayi, however, commended the Founder of the University for funding the research to enhance capacity in the country.
Speaking also, Prof. Idowu Omotuyi, who made a presentation on the Virucidine Liquid said the institution has registered its name as one of the Universities in the world where solutions could come from.
According to Omotuyi, Africa is blessed and has the capacity to proffer solutions to challenges that are peculiar to the continent.
NAN reports that the ABUAD Virucidine Liquid evaluation was presented and launched at the forum. (NAN)
