President Yoweri Museveni has given a green light to Gulu University to go ahead, produce and present for trials Covilyce-1, a new Covid-19 medicine.
Earlier, the National Drug Authority (NDA) ordered Gulu University to stop production of Covilyce-1, an herbal medicine that the university developed to treat Covid-19 it is yet to be approved, as confirmed by the regulator’s spokesperson, Abiaz Rwamiti.
The statutory regulator’s directive came few days after the university scientists led by Dr Alice Veronica Lamwaka, the Principal of the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre of Excellence at Gulu University announced that 100 Covid-19 patients recovered after using Covilyce-1 medicine.
Dr Lamwaka purportedly appealed for Shs200m support to increase production after the demand for the herbal medicine soared following several users testifying that it works to treat the disease.
However, reports indicate that last (Wednesday) evening, President Museveni intervened following a meeting at State House, Entebbe, by giving the university a go ahead to produce the medicine.
Sources say the president agreed to give the innovator Shs3b that will be used for clinical trials and mass production.
Insiders say clinical trials will be done from Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.
Dr Lwamwaka revealed that since January, the 300 herbalists they trained at the University’s Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Tradional Medicine Centre of Excellence have been offering supportive therapy for Covid-19 in northern Uganda communities.
Covilyce1 comes in oral powder, linctus, suppository and drop forms.
Other impasse
This is the second time NDA stopping local Covid-19 medicine manufacturers from carrying on with their innovations.
Last month, the regulator knotted in a contest with Mbarara University lecturer, Prof Patrick Ogwang, the manufacturer of Coidex, accusing him of prematurely releasing onto the market his herbal cocktail that he proclaimed safe and efficacious in Covid-19 treatment based on the users’ testimonies.
This prompted President Museveni’s direct intervention resulting in NDA’s formal authorisation for use of the herbal medicine as supportive treatment.
