The National Drug Authority (NDA) has finally cleared the Covidex herbal medicine for use by the public as a supportive treatment in the management of viral infections.
“NDA has granted Covidex an approval based on initial assessment, published literature and safety studies by the innovator. The product has been formulated from herbal plants that have traditionally been used to alleviate symptoms of several disease,” NDA said in a statement.
According to the government body mandated to regulate drugs in the country, herbal medicine has been cleared as a supportive treatment in management of viral infections and not as a cure of Covid.
“The product should be used under guidance of a professional health worker,” NDA said.
With vaccines in short supply and Covid-19 infections soaring daily, and hundreds being hospitalised or killed by the virus, the public is frantically searching for remedies to boost immunity or fend off the mass killer disease.
While scientists say the best option to stop the pandemic remains a vaccine, enough of it won’t be available soon to save the 21.9 million Ugandans who the government says need it.
In light of this scarcity, many have come to see Covidex, marketed as a novel ‘Covid cure’, as a quick treatment to stop their panic and death from Covid-19.
The drug, made by Mbarara University scientists led by Prof Patrick Ogwang, had filled up drug stores and are selling out so quickly and in large quantities.
