Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says Nigeria has started
using remdesivir, an anti-retroviral drug, in managing COVID-19 patients.
Addressing members of the house of representatives on
Tuesday, Ehanire said the drug has been administered to patients in Lagos
state.
He, however, did not say the outcome of the treatment.
“We have been using that (remdesivir); we have tried that in
Lagos too,” he said.
“So, we have tried the antiretroviral drug to see what
effect it has.”
The minister said the drug, originally developed as a
potential treatment for Ebola, is one of the options which Nigeria has adopted
in treating COVID-19 patients.
But he said no herbal medicine has so far been approved for
the disease.
TheCable had reported how 150 patients recovered after being
treated with the experimental anti-retroviral drug.
Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical company that developed
the drug, said it was found to be effective on the patients during the trial
which began in February.
But it added that the optimal duration of treatment is still
being studied in ongoing clinical trials.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the
use of the drug for hospitalised COVID-19 patients.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not approved any
drug or vaccine for COVID-19.
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