By Joel Mugabi
National Drug Authority (NDA), the government agency responsible for the promotion and protection of public health through regulation of human and animal medicines, has spoken out on Covilyce 1, a herbal drug made by Gulu University scientists.
The herbal medicine, which comes in forms such as powder, suppository and nasal drops, is said to heal Covid19 within 12 to 72 hours from the time of administration.
Available reports also indicate that the scientists at Gulu University, located in Northern Uganda, had already tried the medicine on over 100 Covid19 patients, most of whom are said to have been cured of the deadly respiratory disease that has claimed the lives of over 2,000 Ugandans, and of millions the world over.
There were also claims that the university’s scientists had deployed over 200 herbalists reportedly trained at a herbal medicine unit housed at the institution to administer Covilyce 1 to those suffering from Covid19 in the communities as part of clinical trials.
But NDA has warned the public that it has not yet approved the use of Covilyce 1, and that it had sent a warning to the scientists who have innovated this herbal drug to stop production and distribution with immediate effect.
A statement by NDA indicated that the makers of Covilyce 1 had told officials from the medicines regulator that they had not yet put their product on the market, admitting that it was still undergoing tests in their research laboratories.
The regulator further reminded the public that before it has notified any product, “it shouldn’t be used as [NDA] can’t guarantee it’s safety.” About two weeks ago, NDA notified Covidex, a herbal drug innovated by Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) researcher Prof Patrick Engeu Ogwang, after it went through the procedures for notification of medicines.
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