TheCable

The Plateau state research committee on COVID-19 says it has developed a herbal cure for the disease.

Noel Wannang, the committee chairman, announced the development on Friday, said the “cure” was “proven to be safe” after initial trials.

Speaking during a meeting with the state’s local government chairman and traditional rulers on Friday, the professor of pharmacology said the herbs used were all sourced from the state

“The research team has come up with (the) herbal cure for COVID-19 which Plateau state was the first to develop in Nigeria; we developed the COV PLA-1, COV PLA- 2, COV PLA -3 and PLATABOOST-N,” he said.

“All of the herbs used in making these drugs were sourced and got from the state, it is our hope that the drugs will be used internationally at the end of the research.

“We are done with phase one which is the safety aspect and it has proven to be safe. We will commence phase 2 on Monday, September 21, after which our patients will start benefiting from the drugs.”

Mannang said during pre-clinical trials, the cure reversed damage and restored lung function in infected animals including chicks, rats, guinea pigs and cats.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) did not immediately respond to TheCable’s inquiry on whether it is aware of the said cure.

But neither the agency nor the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced any major breakthrough in the race for a drug for coronavirus, including local remedies.

Globally, more than 150 different drugs are reportedly being researched to cure those infected with the virus, although only steroids have been proven to save lives.