Over 150 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients have been enrolled to participate in the Stage 2 of clinical trials on the use of lagundi (Chinese chaste tree) as a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) therapeutic or supplement, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has reported.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña disclosed this during his weekly report on Friday, April 9.
"On the project to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lagundi tablets in patients without co-morbidities, suspected or with mild COVID-19: screening and recruitment of participants for stage 2 is ongoing,” he said.
He noted that as of March 26, 2021, the project has enrolled a total of 159 participants from six study sites or quarantine facilities.
The breakdown of patients per site is as follows: Philippine National Police (PNP) Camp Bagong Diwa, 98; Valenzuela Quarantine Facility, 24; Quirino Institute, 23; Araullo High School, eight; Rizal High School, four; and Silungan Molave, Diliman, two.
In late March, Dr. Cecilia Nelia C. Maramba-Lazarte of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila announced that the lagundi clinical trials are expected to be completed soon.
She said they completed the Stage 1 of the trials or the dose-finding and safety study at the Quezon Institute and at the PNP Camp Bagong Final Special Care Facility.
In July 2020, it was announced that the clinical trials for lagundi were approved by DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). In April last year, the DOST started looking into the effectiveness of certain herbal medicines against COVID-19.
Lagundi is widely used as a cough remedy.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the clinical trials for lagundi as a supplemental treatment against COVID-19 in August 2020.