The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given marching orders for the immediate manufacture of Chloroquine possible clinical trial treatment of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement on Monday said that the old anti-malarial drug was being repurposed for the clinical trial treatment of the virus.
The USD of Chloroquine for the treatment of Covid-19 has stirred controversies among health fractional and concerned leaders but Adeyeye explained the agency decided to embark upon the clinical trial treatment because of the use of Chloroquine by other countries to treat the virus.
She said: “Lagos State will be starting a clinical trial on Chloroquine to evaluate the effectiveness.
READ ALSO: https://www.thexpressng.com/2020/03/30/covid-19-my-position-on-economy-misreported-says-tinubu/
“In a very recent publication, Chloroquine was reported in a press briefing by the State Council of China, indicating that Chloroquine phosphate had demonstrated marked efficacy and acceptable safety in treating COVID-19 associated pneumonia in a multi-centre clinical trials conducted in China.
“The study involved 10 hospitals in Wuhan, Jingzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Ningbo, and 100 patients.
“Te investigators reported that Chloroquine phosphate is superior to the control in inhibiting the pneumonia associated with COVID-19, and shortening the course of the disease.”
Speaking further, the NAFDAC boss added: “It also interferes with the glycosylation of cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. This may inhibit the virus-receptor binding and terminate the infection.
“The antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of chloroquine contribute to the efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients.”
Mrs. Adeyeye, however, advised the public to desist from its use without the guidance of a medical doctor or clinician for cases of clinical trial treatment of COVID-19.
She also said the use of chloroquine has side effects such as gastrointestinal upset, blurred vision, headache and pruritis (itching).
“The itching can be relieved by using antihistamine. Prolonged use can also cause retinopathy or vision impairment.”
