FDA approves first herbal medicine for clinical trial on Covid-19 treatment

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has approved the first herbal medicine for clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19.

The FDA in a statement said the drug Cryptolepis sanguinolenta is locally known as Nibima.

The statement signed by Chief Executive Officer of FDA, Mrs. Delese A.A. Darko said the approval of the drug was granted in January 2021.

The statement disclosed that the herbal medicine was submitted by the “School of Public Health at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), submitted a clinical trial application in September 2020.”

“The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), The National Medicine Regulatory Agency (NMRA) in Ghana, has approved a herbal medicine, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, locally known as Nibima for clinical trials in January 2021.”

“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.”

Below is the full statement