The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has stated that the new COVID-19 drug, Dexamethasone, has not received approval for treating patients with the viral disease in Nigeria.
The drug, a widely used low-dose steroid, has been hailed as a major breakthrough by scientists in the United Kingdom for significantly reducing the risk of patients dying from COVID-19.
In a series of Tweets posted on Tuesday night, June 16, the NCDC acknowledged the drug but emphasized that it has not yet been approved for use in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is aware of recent outcomes from a UK-Government funded clinical trial for COVID-19. The results support the use of Dexamethasone as a possible treatment to reduce the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, who require oxygen or mechanical ventilation,” the NCDC stated.
However, they made it clear that the Government of Nigeria has not validated or approved any treatment for COVID-19. Additionally, the use of Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment has not been validated by WHO.
The NCDC assured that they are aware of ongoing clinical trials conducted by scientists in the UK and will collaborate with sister agencies to evaluate the emerging data on the use of Dexamethasone. They pledged to inform the public about outcomes following a scientific review and validation.