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NAFDAC warns against use of Chloroquine after Okupe’s claim
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against taking Chloroquine as treatment for COVID-19.
NAFDAC’s warning is coming barely 24 hours after former presidential aide, Dr Doyin Okupe, revealed in a tweet that he was treated with Hydroxychloroquine among other medications after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
“On the 23rd of April, my wife, Aduralere, and I tested positive for COVID-19. To the Glory of God, we were discharged this (Wednesday) morning after obtaining two negative reports. I thank Almighty God for His Mercies,” Okupe tweeted on Tuesday before following up with another tweet on Wednesday on the different medications he was given.
But the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) warned Nigerians against taking Chloroquine as the drug was still undergoing clinical trial.
“Nobody should buy Chloroquine and use. If you have COVID-19, go to a doctor. We have warned Nigerians and shall do that again. Do not take Chloroquine,” Prof Adeyeye, told NAN on Thursday in Abuja.
“The delay in approving some of the drugs for treatment of the virus is because of the clinical trials the agency is carrying out on them.
“So far, no group or individual has proffered any solution to the treatment or management of the pandemic,” she said.
READ: NAFDAC alerts Nigerians on circulation of fake Chloroquine 250mg tablets
According to Adeyeye, the Chinese government carried out lots of trials on Chloroquine before it approved its use for treatment on some COVID-19 patients.
“Clinical trial is not a thing one can handle casually; it requires guidance, supervision and experiment before approval so that it will not cause further damage.
“The trial is to determine whether it is actually working or not, after a sustained observation. NAFDAC is supposed to be the centre of the regulation of clinical trial effects.
“Nobody can do any job of clinical trial in the clinic or anywhere without passing through NAFDAC protocol.
“If such protocol is found defective or tend to compromise the health of Nigerians, we will not approve it,” she said.
The NAFDAC boss further said that whatever procedure was coming up for the cure or curtailment of COVID-19 must be submitted for trial to the agency for appropriate processing.
She said that the agency must also ensure that all the procedure used in arriving at their experimental processes for the cure or curtailment of COVID-19 must be submitted with relevant proof.
Adeyeye advised researchers and traditional medical practitioners to follow the normal protocol before the approval of their work for public consumption.