By Tosin Ayinde

Leading medical institutions from the public and private sectors have given the nod to the COVID-19 herbal cure formulated by Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD). The university made history as the first university in Africa and the second in the world, after the University of Oxford, to develop medication for the prevention and cure of COVID-19.

The approval was given by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), which disclosed that ABUAD’s Virucidine Liquid has cured 44 COVID-19 patients, which is a milestone in Nigeria’s quest for home-grown solutions to its challenges. Recall that the COVID-19 pandemic led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people globally.

Prof. Babatunde Salako, DG of NIMR, at a recent evaluation presentation of the herbal drug at the institute’s auditorium in Lagos, said the product has also been approved by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for human consumption, and it has shown promise for “safety, efficacy and tolerability” on human beings.

According to NIMR, the study indeed showed that the herbal drug cured 44 participants within three days and may also prevent COVID-19 if taken as prophylaxis. The NIMR DG said the herbal drug, which had been subjected to scientific scrutiny and successfully passed the first two levels of tests, would encourage the institute to go further in studying its efficacy on a larger number of COVID-19 patients. He added that it is therefore recommended that ABUAD’s Virucidine Liquid be further studied in a large phase 3 clinical trial to confirm efficacy and safety of the herbal liquid.

The NIMR top man said the dearth of COVID-19 cases in the country necessitated a reduction in the sample size. To ameliorate this, the study period was increased by more than 100 percent to enable recruitment of 44 participants for the study. “We may need up to 1,000 patients at this level, but the number of index cases has radically reduced in Nigeria and this may lead us to externalise our research work to countries where the pandemic is still ravaging,” said Prof. Salako, while lauding ABUAD for providing funding for the research.

Since its launch, there have been regulatory validations from various organisations. The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta in Lagos and Mainland Hospital, Lagos have affirmed the efficacy of the herbal medicine. Another notable medical authority, Oba Adejuigbe Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, stated that the COVID-19 patients that participated in the study were treated in three days. Dr. Bolawale Abimbola of Mainland Hospital said five COVID-19 patients that participated in the study were cured of the infection by the herbal drugs.

Prof. Ayodeji Ajayi and Prof. Idowu Omotuyi, who led the research team, said the herbal drug was a response to the clarion call by the founder of the university, Aare Afe Babalola, that the institution must provide a local solution to the pandemic wrought devastation worldwide.

With the launch of Africa’s first herbal cure for COVID-19, Virucidine Liquid, it is safe to say that Nigeria, including Africa, is on its path to providing a local, effective solution to the threat that the dreaded virus poses. It also lends credence that, indeed, Nigeria has the talent and potential to compete with the best in the world if the various support structures are made available.

Tosin Ayinde is a Managing Editor with Meiza Nigeria

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