The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Moji Adeyeye, has debunked the claim that a Nigerian herbal medicine known as PaxHerbal Cugzin, has been approved to treat or cure COVID-19 cases.
Professor Adeyeye’s rebuttal on Saturday was in reaction to a viral claim by the Director of the PaxHerbal Clinic and Research Laboratories, Ewu in Edo State, Rev. Fr. Anslem Adodo, that his herbal remedy, Paxherbal Cugzin has been approved by NAFDAC for the treatment of symptoms associated with COVID-19.
The NAFDAC boss in the rebuttal said, there is no cure for COVID-19 at the moment describing the claim by Rev. Fr. Adodo as wrong and inaccurate.
“PaxHerbal applied for Listing of Pax Herbal Cugzin capsule 290mg which was approved by NAFDAC and Listed as “Safe to use”.
“The applicant claimed that it is an immune booster and an anti- infective.
“However, as part of the labelling of the product, and in line with global practice, a Disclaimer is on the product label which clearly states that the claims have not been evaluated by NAFDAC
“Therefore, the statements circulating in the social media that NAFDAC has approved PaxHerbal product “specifically for treating symptoms associated with Coronavirus” is WRONG and INACCURATE.
“Until a clinical study is done in a scientific manner, no herbal medicine manufacturer can claim effectiveness to treat COVID-19 associated symptoms”, Adeyeye said.
Rev. Fr. Anslem Adodo had in a statement which went viral on social media claimed that, “PaxHerbal applied for Listing of Pax Herbal Cugzin capsule 290mg which was approved by NAFDAC and Listed as “Safe to use”.
“After a series of screening, spanning eight weeks, NAFDAC has today approved our PaxHerbal COVID-19 herbal drug, PaxHerbal Cugzin, for public use.
“It is the first to be so approved and presently the only one. The drug is specifically for treating the symptoms associated with the coronavirus.”
Adodo said NAFDAC had earlier given approval for the drug to be used, even though the body was yet to make that approval official; hence the initial packs of the herbal remedy bore the disclaimer, “these claims have not yet been verified by NAFDAC.”
But with that hurdle crossed, PaxHerbal Cugzin now has the NAFDAC number: A7-4358L.”, said Adodo.
