The Coronavirus herbal drug cure which Madagascar says it uses to treat infected patients has reached Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who received portions of the drug from Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Saturday, said the drug must be verified before use.
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, quoted Buhari as saying the drug will go through the verification process which other remedies for the disease are being subjected to.
“We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions,” Buhari said.
The drug, which is branded as herbal tea and named COVID-Organics, was launched on April 20, with its main ingredient being sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), a plant of Asian origin from where the antimalarial drug, artemisinin, came.
The product has not been tested in line with international standards, the World Health Organization said this week. Its use could accelerate resistance to an ingredient that has proven effective in treating malaria, heightening risk related to that potentially deadly infection, experimental medicine expert Dr. Arthur Grollman told CNN.
Featured Image Credit: Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, launched the Covid-Organics drink. RIJASOLO/AFP via Getty Images
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