The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has disclosed that the Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) trials among coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients continue.
"The screening and recruitment for study participants are still ongoing,” DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said during his weekly report on Friday, April 9, citing the report provided by the DOST-Philippine Council for Research and Development (PCHRD) on the latest development of various coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ongoing research and development (R&D) projects that are being implemented by its partner research institutions.
He said out of 549 screened patients, the project team has enrolled 28 patients to the study.
"Thirteen of the enrolled patients are under the VCO and standard care intervention while 15 are receiving the standard care only,” the DOST chief said.
DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya said the VCO clinical trials at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and in Valenzuela City are expected to be completed by June.
He said the increasing cases of COVID-19 cases in the country would help expedite the ongoing VCO trials.
Montoya said they were keenly monitoring the trials being conducted at the PGH and in Valenzuela City aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of VCO as a potential supplement that could prevent the worsening of condition in patients afflicted with the disease.
In early March, de la Peña said more participants were needed in the VCO trial at the PGH as only 19 out of the 434 screened patients were qualified to participate in the study.
The study, “Virgin Coconut Oil as Adjunctive Therapy for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients”, which is being implemented by the University of the Philippines (UP)-Manila, is targeting “more or less” 100 participants, he said.
In February, the VCO trial study among 120 COVID-19 patients in Valenzuela City started following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the City of Valenzuela, DOST-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), and DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), in collaboration with the DOST- (PCHRD), and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
The Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital and Dalandanan National High School Isolation Facility were identified sites for the VCO clinical study.
Recent studies conducted by the DOST-FNRI showed that VCO is a potential supplement that prevents the worsening of condition in patients afflicted with the COVID-19 virus.
De la Peña had noted that to evaluate the effects of VCO intake in positive symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, VCO trials in Valenzuela City will serve as a confirmatory study following the completion of the trials in Sta. Rosa Laguna.
In early December last year, dela Peña disclosed that another VCO study will be conducted in Valenzuela City after the FRNI team found the effectiveness of VCO on 57 probable and suspected cases at the Santa Rosa Community Quarantine Facility and in Santa Rosa Community Hospital.