THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a licence to Afe Babalola University to kick-start the production of ABUAD Herbal Virucidine Liquid with effect from December 16, 2021.
The agency confirmed exclusively to The ICIR that the product was an immune booster for COVID-19, not a cure.
The NAFDAC Spokesperson Sayo Akintola confirmed via a text message on Tuesday that the institution had been licensed to go into immune booster production.
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Earlier reports had said that the liquid was an immune booster and antioxidant for coronavirus and other viral infections.
It was reported that the drug could be used as an anti-inflammatory product packaged in 100-ml bottles.
The ICIR can confirm that the new innovation in drug development on COVID-19 is not the first in the country.
In January, the regulatory agency had approved Niprimune as an immune booster, which is produced by the Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD).
Since its outbreak in late 2019, the pandemic has spread across nations, with several casualties.
Nigeria recently fell into the fourth wave with the recent variant, Omicron.
Director of Corporate Affairs of ABUAD Tunde Olofintila, on Tuesday, said with the achievement, ABUAD had joined researchers in some foreign universities making efforts to produce anti-viral medications for the treatment of COVID-19.
The approval, he revealed, was conveyed in a letter dated December 17, 2021, and signed by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye.
Chief Pharmacist of ABUA Toyin Afolabi applauded stakeholders such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), parents, including both teachers and students, who made the feat possible.
Also, Chief Medical Director of ABUAD Multi-System Hospital Kolawole Ogundipe sought the industry support for mass production of the immune booster.
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at oadanikin@icirnigeria.org. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin