(Eagle News) – The Food and Drug Administration has already approved the clinical trials for the local herb Lagundi as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said this as it also announced that it is expecting the approval of the clinical trial of another local herb, Tawa-Tawa, to treat COVID-19 patients. Lagundi is known to treat cough and relieve asthma, while Tawa-Tawa has been previously approved in the treatment of dengue.
DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said that the clinical trials for Lagundi in the treatment for COVID-19 will be done by doctors of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in three quarantine centers – at the Quezon Institute quarantine center, Sta. Ana Hospital, and at the Philippine National Police NCR community quarantine center.
-Use for COVID-19 mild cases-
“Iyon pong sa Lagundi, ang good news po ay naaprubahan na ng FDA ang clinical trials. So ito lang early this week po naaprubahan,” he said in a Laging Handa virtual presser Saturday, Aug. 29.
The clinical trials for Tawa-Tawa, on the other hand, if approved, will be handled by doctors in UP Visayas.
Dela Peña said that these two local herbs, Lagundi and Tawa-Tawa, both have proven anti-viral properties. He said that these can help treat mild cases of COVID-19.
Symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat could be addressed by these natural therapeutics, he said.
“Gaya nga ng nasabi ko noong una, ang hangad natin diyan ay ma-address iyong mga symptoms katulad ng ubo, lagnat at iyang mga sore throat kasi malaking bagay kung giginhawa ang ating pasyente na mild cases diyan sa mga symptoms na iyan,” he explained.
“At titingnan din natin kung ano ba ang probability na sila ay bababa ba iyong probability na magpo-progress sila into moderate and severe cases kung bibigyan iyang mga gamot na iyan – Lagundi at Tawa-Tawa,” the DOST chief added.
The DOST is already undergoing clinical trials for COVID-19
(Eagle News Service)
