Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Maurice Iwu, says his team has developed a potential treatment for the deadly coronavirus disease.
Prof. Iwu is the chief executive officer of a research organisation, Bioresources Institute of Nigeria (BION).
Iwu revealed the team’s discovery on Monday in Abuja during a meeting with the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.
Covid-19, the novel coronavirus, broke out last December in Wuhan, China.
Iwu, however, said his team had been working on solutions to the virus since 2015.
“Honourable Minister, Sir, I am here to formally brief you about our drug discovery project, which has led to the identification of a potential treatment agent for coronavirus infections,” he said.
“Your Excellency will recall that when the Ebola virus infection broke out in 2014 many people were surprised that our research group had an experimental lead compound that was identified 15 years earlier in 1999.
“And now with the emergence of a novel coronavirus in 2019 as Covid-19, we had identified and patented a possible treatment back in 2015. It is very important that we must remain ahead of these emergent infections through research.
“We have under consideration possible dosage forms including a combination product formulation of the three agents (Rhygyfyn) described in our patents as broad-spectrum antiviral drug, identified and developed here in Nigeria.
“We are set to introduce the products but our only limitation is finance. As you well know, science is a very expensive undertaking. I will like to plead with you to use your good office to kindly appeal to Nigerians for their support.”
Iwu had in 2014 suggested that bitter kola could serve as a cure to Ebola virus.
His suggestion was debunked by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
The former INEC boss is facing trial over N1.2 billion fraud allegedly concealed in the account of Bioresources Institute of Nigeria Limited between December 2014 and March 27, 2015.
