Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has announced it has approved a herbal medicine , Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, locally known as Nibima for clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19, after a “detailed assessment”.

In a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of FDA, Mrs. Delesse A.A Darko and issued on Monday, February 1, 2021, said the approval was granted in January 2021, following collaboration with the National Medicine Regulatory Agency (NMRA).

“In the search for a treatment for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the School of Public Health at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), submitted a clinical trial application in September 2020 to assess the safety and efficacy of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta as a potential treatment for COVID-19. This follows results from laboratory studies conducted by the KNUST research team which points in the direction of possible clinical benefits,” the statement noted.

“The FDA after a detailed assessment of the application gave the requisite regulatory authority for the conduct of the trial as per the mandate outlined under Part 8 (Section 150-166) of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851), which gives the Authority the legal mandate to regulate clinical trials of drugs, herbal medicinal products, cosmetics or medical devices. The trial will be at two sites,” it further stated.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme