Covilyce-1 was developed by scientists led by Dr Lamwaka at Gulu University’s faculty of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Studies (PharmBiotec). The herbal remedy was initially developed to treat other respiratory illnesses but the scientists announced publicly last year that it can cure COVID-19 symptoms.
Dr Alice Veronica Lamwaka, the
lead researcher and innovator of Covilyce-1, a poly-herbal concoction developed for
treating COVID-19 says the support drug also boosts sex drive in humans.
Covilyce-1 was developed by
scientists led by Dr Lamwaka at Gulu University’s faculty of Biotechnology and
Pharmaceutical Studies (PharmBiotec). The herbal remedy was initially developed
to treat other respiratory illnesses but the scientists announced publicly last
year that it can cure COVID-19 symptoms.
But Dr Lamwaka says many people who used the herbal drug
reported an enhancement in their libido. She says the increased libido was reported in both males and females who used the herbal remedy.
Dr Lamwaka says that whereas it wasn’t
in their scientific research plans, the revelation has sent scientists at the
University guessing on whether to include the discovery as a side effect or a
benefit of the drug for its users. She was making the presentation to a team of experts from the World Health Organization Africa
Regional Office.
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Dr Lamwaka also believes that
the drug improves women’s fertility citing that a section of women who used
the drug reportedly conceived after a very long period of not being able to
conceive. She however says that the claims now
require further scientific studies through clinical trials to clearly prove the
potential of the herbal concoction.
//Cue in; “I think it…
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Last year, President Yoweri Museveni authorized the Health Ministry to release 3.7 billion Shillings to aid
further research and clinical trial of Covilyce-1, after meeting Dr Lamwaka and a team of University officials over the invention of
the drug.
But Dr Lamwaka says no
money has been released to the University, which has affected progress in their
research, yet a committee instituted by the
Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation earlier noted that they lack
sufficient pre-clinical study reports on Covilyce-1 to enable the medicine to be
cleared for a clinical trial.
Dr Moses Ocan, lecturer of Pharmacology
at Makerere University and a member of the COVID-19 Natural Therapeutics
Clinical Trial School (CONAT) says they are yet to interface with Dr Lamwaka
on her product. Dr Ocan says the committee members
will have to get sufficient pre-clinical study reports on Dr Lamwaka’s herbal
remedy before she can be cleared and funded to conduct the clinical trial.
At
least three innovators have so far been cleared to conduct clinical trials on
their herbal products after defending their products with sufficient pre-clinical
reports. Among the products cleared for
clinical trials is the country’s covid-19 vaccine, UBV-01N developed by local
scientists.
WHO officials who held
discussions with scientists from Gulu University recently lauded their
innovation and pledged to offer technical support to improve the development of
African traditional medicine.
