COVID-19: FDA approves first herbal medicine for clinical trial

The herbal medicine Cryptolepis Sanguinolenta known locally as Nibima has been approved for clinical trials in January 2021.

Researchers 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, the FDA has said.

In a statement, it said: "The Food 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."

FDA Pulse Ghana

It added: "In the search for a treatment for 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."

Here's the full statement below: