COA 72 undergoes clinical trials as anti-HIV drug

A Ghanaian-manufactured herbal-based anti-HIV drug is currently undergoing clinical trials in a potential breakthrough in the fight against the virus.

The COA 72, the latest product addition by COA Research and Manufacturing Company Limited (COA RMCL), has already been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for the clinical trials as an anti-HIV drug.

Researchers at COA RMCL say they are hopeful that the product will be a breakthrough remedy against HIV and other viral infections.

They made the disclosure when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health paid a working visit to the COA RMCL factory at Wusorkrom in the Central Region last Monday.

The President General of COA RMCL, Prof. Samuel Ato Duncan, said any groundbreaking achievement regarding the company’s discoveries would mean an enormous socio-economic breakthrough for the country.

He welcomed the committee’s support and expressed his commitment to scientific excellence and safe, plant-based medical innovation.

Prof. Duncan said most of the company’s products had been tested by respected institutions, including the Centre for Plant Medicine Research and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), stating that it was time the government stepped in with support.

He appealed to the committee to advocate the use of COA products in orthodox health facilities which did not have access to antiretroviral drugs.

Partnerships

The committee members, led by its Chairman, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, Member of Parliament for Nabdam, expressed confidence in the company’s research efforts, saying the significant potential of the company’s products in both health and economic terms deserved national attention and support.

The parliamentary committee pledged to collaborate with COA RMCL to secure partnerships and funding to advance research into the company’s range of herbal-based medical products.

The committee commended the innovation and advanced research and development efforts by the COA RMCL so far, and pledged to champion advocacy that would facilitate partnerships and funding opportunities to boost efforts towards lasting solutions to the nation's health challenges through indigenous science and technology.

Dr Nawaane said that while about 70 per cent of Ghanaians used one herbal product or another, the country had not adequately accepted and assisted people making progress in herbal medicine research and development.

He said although there was still some work to be done on the products, it was necessary that COA RMCL was supported to explore the products which held great potential.

He pledged that members would make a statement on the floor of Parliament to advocate support for RMCL research and growth.

Laudable

A member of the committee and Board Chairman of the National Vaccines Institute, Charles Agbeve, said efforts of the company were laudable, adding that the institute was ready to collaborate with COA RMCL to seek funding for its work.

The Member of Parliament for Mfantseman and a member of the committee, Dr Ebenezer Prince Arhin, said it was sad that traditional medicine had been abandoned for options which were messing with human body systems.

He suggested that the committee push for the COA products to be on the National Health Insurance prescription list.

Protect such efforts

The Member of Parliament for Central Tongu, Alexander Hottordze, stressed that such significant effort from a Ghanaian must be protected and promoted, and urged members to take the COA research efforts as a project and advocate a capital injection for the company.

Briefing the committee on the products, the Production Manager and biomedical scientist at COA RMCL, Dr Caleb Mawuli Agbale, said early trials of the COA 72 had shown that the product could reduce HIV viral load by up to 90 per cent within 10 days.

He explained that the product had demonstrated a broad-spectrum antiviral capacity, with indications of effectiveness against viruses such as Herpes, COVID-19, and even Ebola.

“After more than 20 years of rigorous research, we believe we are on the verge of a major medical breakthrough,” Dr Agbale stated.

“We now need strong governmental support and investment to push our research to the next level,” he added.

According to him the company could bring in about $7.6 billion in revenue to boost the Ghanaian economy.

He emphasised the need for a vial machine in the near future, which, even when operating at just 10 per cent capacity, could generate up to $7 billion annually, underscoring the immense economic potential of the enterprise.

He said COA RMCL also aimed to assemble a dedicated team of experts to oversee clinical trials and eventually the scale-up of production.

Dr Agbale said their products had undergone the necessary safety protocols and received regulatory approvals, adding that anecdotal evidence also suggested the products were providing relief for patients with hypertension, diabetes, stroke, terminal malignancies, kidney issues and severe allergies.