Dr Samuel Ato Duncan, President of COA, speaking at a press conference in Accra recently to announce the discovery of the medication
The Food & Drugs Authority (FDA) has denied reports making the rounds that it has approved COA72, a medication discovered by the Centre of Awareness (COA) Ghana which promises to be the cure for HIV/AIDS.
“It has come to the attention of the Food & Drugs Authority (FDA), speculations in the media on the discovery of a medicine purported to cure HIV/ AIDS,” FDA said in a statement issued by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hudu Mogtari.
It said, “The Food & Drugs Authority wishes to bring to the attention of the general public that the authority has not given any market authorisation for any medicine for the cure of HIV/ AIDS.”
The FDA is the only agency responsible for the approval and granting of marketing authorisation for the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of medicines in Ghana.
COA72 has reportedly undergone clinical trials at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal School of Medicine, South Africa, and said to have proven beyond reasonable doubt to be the decades-old awaited cure for HIV/AIDS.
It is an intramuscular and intravenous injectable of COA FS, a herbal dietary supplement which supports the human immune system to fight a variety of deadly diseases. COA FS is also developed by the Centre of Awareness.
COA72, DAILY GUIDE gathered, holds the potential of curing HIV within three days or 72-hours.
According to COA, in vivo pilot studies conducted in South Africa this year proved that intramuscular administration of COA72 has the ability of smoking out viruses living in latently infected cells into the blood stream and flushed out by intravenous administration of COA72 in five days.
Some two self-proclaimed HIV/AIDS patients who used the drug confirmed its usefulness in ‘curing’ the deadly virus.
But, FDA in the statement said, “Any person who claims to have medicine for the cure of HIV/AIDS would need prior approval from the FDA before marketing such product.”
The authority explained that “it is worth noting that before any approval is given; the medicine is taken through vigorous scientific scrutiny of its content, packaging information and documentation to ensure that the medicine is efficacious, quality and safe for consumption.”
It stressed that “the FDA wishes to state categorically that it has not approved any medicine for the cure of HIV/AIDS and, therefore, the general public is advised not to patronise any medicine for such claim since their safety, quality and efficacy cannot be guaranteed.”
Meanwhile, FDA has advised “persons on anti-retroviral medications are advised to continue with their medications and not allow themselves to be swayed by false and unsubstantiated claims.”
BY Melvin Tarlue