The National Agency For Foods, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC has ordered for the manufacturing of chloroquine for emergency stock for possible clinical trial treatment of coronavirus.
This was made known in a statement on Monday by the agency.
Also Read: NAFDAC approves Chloroquine for Coronavirus clinical trial
nafdac said through her regulatory activities it will ensure that clinical trial protocol guidelines are followed to ensure that the team of clinical researchers succeed in stopping the ranging pandemic.
NAFDAC has however warned the general public to desist from the use of chloroquine without guidance of a medical doctor or clinicians for trial treatment of coronavirus due to possible side effects such as gastrointestinal upset, blurred vision, headache and itching.
chloroquine as an old anti-malaria drug was first tested in the vitro laboratory using standard assays to measure the effects on the cytotoxicity virus yield and infection rate of coronavirus.
The drug was reported to function as antiviral at both the entry and post entry stages of coronavirus infection.
chloroquine has also been reported as a potential broad spectrum antiviral drug.
chloroquine was discontinued in nigeria many years ago for the treatment of malaria because of the resistance the parasite developed against the drug.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
