Nigeria ready to begin COVID-19 drug trials in 13 states

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said investigational drug trials would soon start in 22 sites scattered across 13 states of the federation.

The task force’s National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, said this during a press briefing by the task force on Thursday

Aliyu said 22 sites cutting across 13 states of the federation had been approved for the exercise and that all necessary regulatory approvals had already been secured for the trials.

“As you are aware Nigeria, has registered for the WHO solidarity trials which are a multi-country trial where the standard of care in the country is compared against some investigational drugs such as Remdesivir, Interferon-Beta and monoclonal antibody.

“This is in a bid to get the best drugs to cure COVID 19. So far 22 sites from 13 states have been registered for the trial and the necessary regulatory approvals from NAFDAC, and the National Health Research Ethics Committee has been secured. The trial will soon commence.” he said

He said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research and other tertiary institutions “have been actively involved in  pursuing research in accordance with their mandates of establishment as soon the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation.”