COVID-19: Nigeria might not expose Madagascan herbal drug to clinical trials. Here is why

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Presidential task force on COVID-19 to order Madagascar‘s COVID-Organics, CVO, a herbal tonic touted as a cure for COVID-19 but the odds stands against the country to carry out proper verification tests on the drug.

Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, who confirmed this during the daily presidential briefing stated that the herbal remedy would be subjected to checks before it is considered fit for consumption.

“The President has given instructions for the airlifting of Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascar COVID-19 syrup from Guinea Bissau. And he has also given clear instructions that it must be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals and there will be no exceptions for this,” he said.

Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s President who started promoting the tonic in April, said it is “a preventive and curative remedy against COVID-19“, attributing the recovery of 105 people in his country to the drug.

CVO is produced from the artemisia plant, the source of the ingredient used in a malaria treatment which was developed by the state-run Malagasy Institute of Applied Research.

The World Health Organisation, WHO in a tweet warns against the use of untested remedies in a virtual meeting with 70 traditional medicine experts from countries across Africa on the role of traditional medicine to the COVID-19 response.

Despite the reservations of the global health body, several African countries, namely Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia have ordered for doses of the herbal remedy from Madagascar.

Available data suggest that Nigeria’s research organisations currently do not have the resources to conduct “in vitro” laboratory tests on the herbal remedy before it can be used for clinical trials in line with WHO guidelines.

“In vitro” laboratory tests mean cell cultures are isolated with the coronavirus and is tested with drugs to show an effect against the virus without harming the cells.

Stalled on the tracks

Nigeria is ranked 114 of 118 countries on the 2019 Global Innovation Index which measured each country’s contribution to global research and international patent applications, including mobile-phone application creation and high-tech exports.

The Nigeria Institute for Medical Research, NIMR, is saddled with the responsibility of leading the country’s medical research into finding possible solutions to several outbreaks including the current COVID-19.

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/covid-19-nigeria-might-not-expose-madagascan-herbal-drug-to-clinical-trials-here-is-why/

Do you know what "clinical trials" mean?

Akunwafor:
Do you know what "clinical trials" mean?

Well, considering Madagascar failed to carry out any real "Clinical trials" of it's own touted drugs before declaring it a cure, every country that wants to use it will need to carry out it's own "clinical trials" to first ascertain if Madagascar's claims hold's water, before really exposing it's population to it.

Kobojunkie:

Well, considering Madagascar failed to carry out any real "Clinical trials" of it's own touted drugs before declaring it a cure, every country that wants to use it will need to carry out it's own "clinical trials" to first ascertain if Madagascar's claims hold's water, before really exposing it's population to it.

Clinical trials isbasically giving the drug to a bunch of willing people and then observing the effects of said drug.

As far as I can tell, they have been doing clinical trials since, only problem is how they're going to be gathering results.

In Madagascar ,How Many Kids,Children ,Adults / People have Died after taking Covid Organics.Its about 3 weeks or more now ,People.in Madagascar have been served the Herbal Drinks ,By Now we should be hearing that People are dying of the side effects after taking it .Why all these Hypocricy all over the World .Why do we Ignore the solution a drug gives and talk more and more of likely side effects that is not even life threatening .

Akunwafor:

Clinical trials isbasically giving the drug to a bunch of willing people and then observing the effects of said drug.
As far as I can tell, they have been doing clinical trials since, only problem is how they're going to be gathering results.

Clinical trials are scientific in nature because there is the need to gather, and analyse data at the end of the day, to reach some final conclusion, in this case of the viability of the drug as far as COVID-19 is concerned. So, no, that has not been done by Madagascar at all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial

Kobojunkie:

Clinical trials are scientific in nature because there is the need to gather, and analyse data at the end of the day, to reach some final conclusion, in this case of the viability of the drug as far as COVID-19 is concerned. So, no, that has not been done by Madagascar at all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial

Read my reply again. You basically just said the same thing I said.

Akunwafor:


Clinical trials isbasically giving the drug to a bunch of willing people and then observing the effects of said drug.

As far as I can tell, they have been doing clinical trials since, only problem is how they're going to be gathering results.

"Giving the drug to a bunch of willing people'?

Lol.

There's what is called 'powering' of a study. In simple terms, this means ensuring the study has sufficient subjects, of the required inclusion/exclusion criteria, etc to be sure the observed effect is due to the drug and nothing else. Getting that number involves complex calculations involving biostatisticians.

And that is just getting the subjects. We've not even talked about the main study itself - a randomized control trials.

Clinical trials can take any where from 3 - 5 years and cost millions if not billions of dollars. The 200million in OP is a very conservative figure.

What Madagascar did is a laughable mockery of science.

alezzy13:


"Giving the drug to a bunch of willing people'?

Lol.

There's what is called 'powering' of a study. In simple terms, this means ensuring the study has sufficient subjects, of the required inclusion/exclusion criteria, etc to be sure the observed effect is due to the drug and nothing else. Getting that number involves complex calculations involving biostatisticians.

And that is just getting the subjects. We've not even talked about the main study itself - a randomized control trials.

Clinical trials can take any where from 3 - 5 years and cost millions if not billions of dollars. The 200million in OP is a very conservative figure.

What Madagascar did is a laughable mockery of science.

Clinical trials are research investigations in which people volunteer to test new treatments, interventions or tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage various diseases or medical conditions.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/what-clinical-trial&ved=2ahUKEwiS0Iz8qrvpAhVRxYUKHc9KAX0QFjAIegQIDhAf&usg=AOvVaw3BspKj8ibVFsGVQnEGjVDN

If you are NOT willing, you CANNOT partake in clinical trials.

Simple definition there for you. I don't know the long story you're saying.

Akunwafor:


Clinical trials are research investigations in which people volunteer to test new treatments, interventions or tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage various diseases or medical conditions.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/what-clinical-trial&ved=2ahUKEwiS0Iz8qrvpAhVRxYUKHc9KAX0QFjAIegQIDhAf&usg=AOvVaw3BspKj8ibVFsGVQnEGjVDN

If you are NOT willing, you CANNOT partake in clinical trials.

Simple definition there for you. I don't know the long story you're saying.

Oya go conduct your own trial na. Use just 10 "willing subjects" and publish your result.

SMH

alezzy13:


Oya go conduct your own trial na. Use just 10 "willing subjects" and publish your result.

SMH

Guy rest.

If you can't comprehend what I wrote, then free.