Coronavirus cure: NAFDAC approves production of chloroquine for clinical trials

Coronavirus cure: NAFDAC approves production of chloroquine for clinical trials

- In the search for a cure for coronavirus, NAFDAC has approved the production of chloroquine for clinical trials

- Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC DG noted that the agency is not approving chloroquine for the treatment of the deadly virus

- Adeyeye called on researchers and experts interested in doing a clinical trial on chloroquine

Amid the spread of the coronavirus and the diligent search for treatments and cure, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday, March 20, announced the approval of chloroquine production for clinical trials.

According to Channels TV, Mojisola Adeyeye, head of NAFDAC, disclosed this at the agency's headquarters in Lagos state.

Nonetheless, Adeyeye stated it clearly that chloroquine is not being approved by NAFDAC as a treatment of the deadly virus but for clinical trials to find a treatment for COVID-19.

She said: “NAFDAC is not approving Chloroquine as a product that can be used for coronavirus because there is no submission to us for registration but because it is under clinical trials, NAFDAC approves medicines meant for clinical trials. Therefore the medicine is being approved just for the clinical trials.”

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Coronavirus: NAFDAC Approves Production Of Chloroquine For Clinical Trial
Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye
Source: Twitter

While calling on experts and researchers that are interested in doing clinical trials, Adeyeye explained that only one company has been asked to make a batch of chloroquine for this purpose.

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Legit.ng previously reported that the United States of America (USA) has approved the anti-malarial drug chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus.

President Donald Trump in a press briefing on Thursday, March 19, said the Food and Drug Administration approved chloroquine for use as coronavirus treatment, Forbes reports.

Trump also said that other antiviral medications will be fast-tracked for FDA approval.

Similarly, the demand for chloroquine increased across Lagos and Abuja after President Trump's announcement. The Cable reported that a visit to some pharm*cies in Lagos and Abuja showed that Nigerians were rushing to buy chloroquine.

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A pharm*cist in Lagos, who gave his name as Chris, said he was yet to understand why people trooped in to buy chloroquine. He stated that all his packs of chloroquine finished on Thursday evening, March 19, noting that only one person bought 15 packs and promised to return to buy more when available.

In a related development, the Nigerian government has added two more countries to the list of high-risk countries that are banned from entering the country. The two new countries added to the list, according to Channels TV, are Austria and Sweden.

The newspaper reports that the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, made the announcement at a media briefing on Friday, March 2020, in Abuja.

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