With the country still grappling with the deadly second wave of the covid 19 pandemic, Mbarara University of science and technology has gone ahead to develop a drug known as Covidex.
And with vaccines still being low as compared to the number of people that have to be vaccinated, the University moved ahead to help on the mitigation of the disease.
The university under it’s PharmaBiotechnology Traditional medicine centre (PHARMABIOTRAC) under Prof Ogwang developed this vaccine among other products such as a hand sanitizer in the fight again the deadly flu.
The drug has picked up so fast with many pharmacies having put it up for sale already. The drug costs around shs 10,000 for a 20mls bottle.
It’s also reported that a person needs about 7 bottles of the drug to get cured from covid 19 according to the pharmacists that sell it. It’s also sold as a preventive measure against ntje flu.
However, the National drug authority (NDA) which is responsible for certifying all drugs consumed in Uganda did not clear the drug.
The authority cautioned people against using it since it has not properly been assessed.
Following these comments, Prof Ogwang came out to clarify that the drug has not yet undergone clinical tests but rather laboratory tests on animals to determine it’s safety and active compounds.
Prof Ogwang in a statement said the drug has not yet undergone clinical tests to determine it’s efficiency.
“Only a few people have used it so far to relive their symptoms of COVID-19. More proof is needed to show it works against COVID-19. Clinic trials that prove as medicine or effective has not yet been done due to funding limitations,” a statement from Prof Ogwang read.
The professor is still looking for the necessary funds to for trials in a bid to get it certified. He was however advised to change its name and drop the claims that it cures covid 19.
Ogwang is not the first Ugandan to attempt to create a covid 19 cure. President Museveni has reiterated over time how Uganda’s in the process of developing it’s own covid 19 vaccine.
The Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute is also in the process of developing a COVID-19 cure known as UBV-01N. The drug has been so far used on 53 people and studies are still ongoing.
