- The proposed trials include Remdesivir, an antiretroviral drug, anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, and Lopinavir/ritonavir.
- The research team is waiting for the final approval by the Poisons and Pharmacies Board and the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI)
Kenyan researchers are not far behind their global counterparts in the search for a cure for Covid-19. The country is getting ready for clinical trials for three drugs. The proposed trials include Remdesivir, an antiretroviral drug that was recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for emergency treatment of Covid-19, anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, and Lopinavir/ritonavir, also used on HIV patients. The submission for the clinical trial has been approved by the Ethics Committee at the University of Nairobi and been reviewed by the Poisons and Pharmacies Board. The research team is waiting for the final approval by the Poisons and Pharmacies Board and the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) to start the process. The approval is expected in a few weeks. Dr Loice Achieng Ombajo, who heads the Infectious Disease Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital stated that so far, no treatment for Covid-19 is being administered to patients.
The research aims to test whether healthy people can be protected from Covid-19 with the new vaccine namely ChAdOx1 nCoV-1 that is made from a virus which is a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. Dr Ombajo explained that participants in the medical investigation will be briefed thoroughly about the process with appropriate insurance cover and due protection to their confidentiality.
