Kenyan Scientists to Conduct Trial for Three Possible Covid-19 Drugs

Kenyan medical researchers are planning to conduct clinical trials for three possible Covid-19 drugs, according to reports.

Daily Nation reports that the scientists are seeking approval from various agencies to trial the three drugs to determine their effectiveness in treating the novel coronavirus disease.

The three drugs include Remdesivir, an antiviral medication used to treat Ebola; hydroxychloroquine, which is used to prevent and treat Malaria; and Lopinavir/Ritonavir, used for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDs.
 
Dr. Loice Achieng Ombajo, who is the head of the Infectious Disease Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), is the Principal investigator in the study.

She said: “We’re still in that stage where you can’t tell what actually works. What we’re hoping to do in the country is something called a clinical trial. In a clinical trial, you take many patients and randomly allocate them to one treatment or another. There’s an equal chance of ending up with any of the drugs and we’ll give you that treatment and observe your response.”

Dr. Ombajo said her team’s request to test the three drugs has received approval from the Ethics Committee at the University of Nairobi and is being reviewed by the Poisons and Pharmacies Board.

The team is waiting for final approval by the Poisons and Pharmacies Board and the National Council of Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI).

The US has already approved the use of Remdesivir to treat Covid-19 after 330 out of 1,063 patients treated with the drug during a trial recovered in a record 11 days.