Image from the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development website.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will start its clinical trials for lagundi as a supplemental treatment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients by August 1.
According to Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña, the trials have already been approved by the University of the Philippines Research Ethics Board.
“Ang aim ng study na sisimulan sa August 1 or earlier kung makakalabas na ‘yung FDA (Food and Drug Administration) clearance, ay mapakita kung ito ay makakabuti para ma-address ‘yung mga symptoms,” Dela Peña said in a televised public briefing Tuesday.
(The aim of the study, which will begin on August 1 or earlier if the FDA clearance is released, is to show if it is good to address the COVID-19 symptoms.)
He noted that just like tawa-tawa, lagundi has anti-viral properties which makes it a suitable choice for the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Lagundi is a proven treatment for cough, which is among the common symptoms of COVID-19.
The Department of Science and Technology is also conducting trials on the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil in the recovery of Covid-19 patients.
There are currently 68,898 COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 23,072 recoveries and 1,835 deaths.