The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has insisted that Chloroquine has not been approved as a cure for the coronavirus disease.
The NCDC said this in a tweet on Wednesday while also warning Nigerians against self-medicating with the drug.
“Please remember that the use of chloroquine and its derivatives for the management of coronavirus disease has NOT been validated and approved. Self-medication can cause harm and lead to death. Do not misuse drugs,” the tweet read.
There has been controversy over whether or not the anti-malarial drug, Chloroquine can cure the disease especially after US President Donald Trump said on March 19 that it had been approved to treat the new coronavirus.
His announcement followed encouraging research into chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in France and China, but many in the wider scientific community cautioned that more work is needed to prove they really work for COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration also later stated that though antimalarials have not been formally approved as a cure for the Coronavirus, the agency is expanding access so that authorities could gather more data.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn speaking on the matter said the access being granted falls under what is called “compassionate use.”
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) approved the production of Chloroquine for clinical trials.
Director-General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, however, pointed out that NAFDAC is not approving Chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 but for clinical trials to find treatment for the virus.