National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) has emphasized that without clinical trial authorized by
the Agency, nobody can claim that a product can cure COVID-19.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
![image](/2021/07/lawpv.jpg")
A statement signed by the NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Sayo
Akintola in Abuja on Sunday, stated that the Director General of
NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, had set up an herbal medicine
product committee in March 2019 before the pandemic broke out to
advance research in herbal medicine.
![image](/2021/07/escrow-service1.jpg")
“The goal for that was to make sure that the herbalist and the
researcher are collaborating so that whatever the herbalist knows
from ancestral history that does not have research to back it up,
collaboration with researcher will enable that herbal medicine to
be advanced to be listed by NAFDAC if its deemed safe.”
Adeyeye while explaining the reason why no locally made herbal
remedy has not been approved by the Agency for the treatment of
COVID 19 in Nigeria gave a stern warning to Nigerian Ivory Tower
Researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to refrain from
promoting untested unverified medicinal products as suitable for
the cure of COVID-19, without NAFDAC approval.
Adeyeye warned that such an act is a violation of the national
regulatory authority’s regulations and protocols.
She insisted that no single drug has been found yet to cure
COVID-19, noting that medicinal products available now can only
help ease symptoms and up the odds of survival.
Adeyeye also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of
onions and garlic with a view to curing COVID–19, stressing that,
“If you eat too much your breath will be smelling and nobody will
want to stay by you.”
She admitted that onions or garlic or any of the natural fruits
that we take have antioxidant and nutrients that can help us feel
better.
“People might have been using it and they get better. But if it
is not documented, it cannot be recognized by NAFDAC for COVID–19.
They work on our cells to keep people healthier. But not to cure
COVID–19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure
for COVID-19 yet.”
“They may boost the immunity and the person may not be easily
susceptible to infection, adding ‘’even with that you still have to
protect yourself. If you eat Garlic and Onion and you don’t use
mask you will get COVID -19. if you are in a very bad environment;
If you dont watch your hands, you will get COVID -19. So,
everything has to be put together.”
“University of Jos said that there was a herbal medicine,
whether its tea or whatever, that can cure COVID 19. They linked it
with treatment of COVID -19. They did the packaging.”
“We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something
unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to
sell it to their staff.”
“That is violation of our own regulatory policies. Nobody should
say that this one can cure this or that without going through
NAFDAC listing process.”
According to Adeyeye, the research into herbal medicine by the
academia is normal however, added that It is now for the academia
to also recognize the national regulatory authority established to
safeguard the safety of the Nigerian populace by ensuring that the
product that they are working on has to go through NAFDAC if they
want to make it available for human consumption.
“There have been one or two cases where the product was being
encouraged to be used by people without going through us.
“When that happens, we give the university a sanction because
they are supposed to go through the national regulatory authority
in order for us to declare it safe for consumption.”
Adeyeye made a stand that her Agency has to approve the clinical
trial protocol, stressing that If they dont go through NHREC, if it
is a new product; and if they dont go through NAFDAC before they
start doing their clinical trial, that is violation of regulatory
procedures.
She added that during the pandemic there were a lot of
assertions that there were herbal medicines that could be used to
treat symptoms of COVID-19.
There is no single medicine that has been identified today to
cure COVID -19. But there are herbal medicines that could alleviate
symptoms of COVID -19.
“NAFDAC has not granted registration approval for any medicine
for that. NAFDAC approves such medicines for listing. It means that
its been tested and is deemed safe to use.
“NAFDAC cannot say herbal medicine can treat COVID -19 until
clinical trial is done. Right now, there is no single herbal
medicine that has gone through full clinical trial the way clinical
trial is supposed to be done.
“To do official clinical trial, you must write a protocol, pass
it through the National Health Research Ethical Committee(NHREC)
and NAFDAC and we have not received any like that.”
“Nonetheless, the Agency has approved some herbal medicines that
they claim can alleviate some of the symptoms of COVID -19 and some
of them are immune boosters that can increase the immune level of
people.”
“When the immune level improves, it may prevent one from getting
the disease, but as far as NAFDAC Is concerned, we have not
approved any medicine to treat COVID -19. We have approved
medicines that they said can alleviate symptoms and relieve people
of some symptoms of COVID-19.
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) has emphasized that without clinical trial authorized by
the Agency, nobody can claim that a product can cure COVID-19.
A statement signed by the NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Sayo
Akintola in Abuja on Sunday, stated that the Director General of
NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, had set up an herbal medicine
product committee in March 2019 before the pandemic broke out to
advance research in herbal medicine.
“The goal for that was to make sure that the herbalist and the
researcher are collaborating so that whatever the herbalist knows
from ancestral history that does not have research to back it up,
collaboration with researcher will enable that herbal medicine to
be advanced to be listed by NAFDAC if its deemed safe.”
Adeyeye while explaining the reason why no locally made herbal
remedy has not been approved by the Agency for the treatment of
COVID 19 in Nigeria gave a stern warning to Nigerian Ivory Tower
Researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to refrain from
promoting untested unverified medicinal products as suitable for
the cure of COVID-19, without NAFDAC approval.
Adeyeye warned that such an act is a violation of the national
regulatory authority’s regulations and protocols.
She insisted that no single drug has been found yet to cure
COVID-19, noting that medicinal products available now can only
help ease symptoms and up the odds of survival.
Adeyeye also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of
onions and garlic with a view to curing COVID–19, stressing that,
“If you eat too much your breath will be smelling and nobody will
want to stay by you.”
She admitted that onions or garlic or any of the natural fruits
that we take have antioxidant and nutrients that can help us feel
better.
“People might have been using it and they get better. But if it
is not documented, it cannot be recognized by NAFDAC for COVID–19.
They work on our cells to keep people healthier. But not to cure
COVID–19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure
for COVID-19 yet.”
“They may boost the immunity and the person may not be easily
susceptible to infection, adding ‘’even with that you still have to
protect yourself. If you eat Garlic and Onion and you don’t use
mask you will get COVID -19. if you are in a very bad environment;
If you dont watch your hands, you will get COVID -19. So,
everything has to be put together.”
“University of Jos said that there was a herbal medicine,
whether its tea or whatever, that can cure COVID 19. They linked it
with treatment of COVID -19. They did the packaging.”
“We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something
unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to
sell it to their staff.”
“That is violation of our own regulatory policies. Nobody should
say that this one can cure this or that without going through
NAFDAC listing process.”
According to Adeyeye, the research into herbal medicine by the
academia is normal however, added that It is now for the academia
to also recognize the national regulatory authority established to
safeguard the safety of the Nigerian populace by ensuring that the
product that they are working on has to go through NAFDAC if they
want to make it available for human consumption.
“There have been one or two cases where the product was being
encouraged to be used by people without going through us.
“When that happens, we give the university a sanction because
they are supposed to go through the national regulatory authority
in order for us to declare it safe for consumption.”
Adeyeye made a stand that her Agency has to approve the clinical
trial protocol, stressing that If they dont go through NHREC, if it
is a new product; and if they dont go through NAFDAC before they
start doing their clinical trial, that is violation of regulatory
procedures.
She added that during the pandemic there were a lot of
assertions that there were herbal medicines that could be used to
treat symptoms of COVID-19.
There is no single medicine that has been identified today to
cure COVID -19. But there are herbal medicines that could alleviate
symptoms of COVID -19.
“NAFDAC has not granted registration approval for any medicine
for that. NAFDAC approves such medicines for listing. It means that
its been tested and is deemed safe to use.
“NAFDAC cannot say herbal medicine can treat COVID -19 until
clinical trial is done. Right now, there is no single herbal
medicine that has gone through full clinical trial the way clinical
trial is supposed to be done.
“To do official clinical trial, you must write a protocol, pass
it through the National Health Research Ethical Committee(NHREC)
and NAFDAC and we have not received any like that.”
“Nonetheless, the Agency has approved some herbal medicines that
they claim can alleviate some of the symptoms of COVID -19 and some
of them are immune boosters that can increase the immune level of
people.”
“When the immune level improves, it may prevent one from getting
the disease, but as far as NAFDAC Is concerned, we have not
approved any medicine to treat COVID -19. We have approved
medicines that they said can alleviate symptoms and relieve people
of some symptoms of COVID-19.