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Clinical trial for tawa-tawa as adjunctive COVID treatment involves 280 non-severe patients - DOST

Philippines | National

Clinical trial for tawa-tawa as adjunctive COVID treatment involves 280 non-severe patients - DOST

By Charissa Luci-Atienza

A randomized controlled clinical trial on the efficacy and safety of tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta) as an adjunctive treatment of mild to moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients has started involving almost 300 patients.

Tawa-tawa (Manila Bulletin File Photo)

This was disclosed by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña during President Duterte’s televised briefing on late Wednesday night, April 5.

“Two-hundred eighty patients po, actually ang targeted start ng pag-aadminister ay May 5 (The target participants are 280 patients, the targeted start to administer it is on May 5 ,” he reported to Duterte.

He said the project is led by Dr. Philip Ian Padilla of the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas and will be implemented for 11 months.

“It aims to determine the efficacy of standardised aqueous Euphorbia hirta L. spray-dried extract (SDE)- previously developed with the support of DOST-PCHRD Tuklas Lunas Program- as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate cases of COVID-19,” de la Peña said.

He noted that the study employs an interventional, randomised controlled phase II dose-fining study involving 280 patients.

The UP Visayas and Corazon Locsin Memorial Hospital signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the project.

Tawa-tawa is known as a supplement for dengue.

Related Tags

covid-19 DELA PEÃ‘A PATIENTS TAWATAWA treatment ADJUNCTIVE DOST

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