Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, is calling for support to advance clinical trials on herbal medicines.
She explained that the agency’s financial stability is a crucial element of NAFDAC’s strategic plan, aimed at ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of herbal products.
Adeyeye said, “NAFDAC aims to provide scientific evidence on their safety and efficacy, ultimately protecting public health and promoting the development of herbal medicine in Nigeria” by conducting clinical trials on herbal medicines.
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She pointed out that while herbal medicines are effective, the agency cannot approve their use without conducting clinical trials.
The NAFDAC Director-General highlighted that the expense of conducting clinical trials is significant, making external support necessary to enable the agency to carry out trials on herbal drugs that could address some of Nigeria’s health challenges.
She added, “NAFDAC is among the few regulatory bodies in the world that has a well-structured means of approving herbal medicines.”
She further stated, “In Nigeria, the reality is that clinical trials are very costly without the support of the government or private institutions, it will be difficult to do clinical trials of herbal medicines.”
She noted, “We have thousands of herbal products in our database that are yet to go through clinical trials.”
“I was brought up with herbs, and I didn’t die; I know that herbal medicine is very effective, but others might have had one issue or complications from taking herbs,” she continued.
“We don’t know the toxic component and the exact quantity that should be taken, and that is why clinical trials and a lot of research have to be done before approving any herbal medicine for usage,” she explained.
However, the Director-General assured that clinical trials on herbal drugs would commence as soon as grants or funds are made available.
“Part of what we are trying to do now is to look for grants. I have already discussed it with the National Assembly and they promise to support us,” she said.
Adeyeye emphasised the significance of starting clinical trials for herbal medicines, saying that testing a few herbal medicines would be a major achievement.
“If we can get five herbal medicines in our national formulary, we will have achieved a lot,” she concluded.
This approach recognizes both the challenges of conducting clinical trials and the potential benefits of confirming the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.
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