Clinical trials for Lagundi as adjunct therapy for COVID-19 have started with 37 coronavirus patients enrolled in the initial clinical trial being spearheaded by the Institute of Herbal Medicine (IHM) of the UP Manila National Institutes of Health.

The EVICT Program (Efficacy of Vitex negundo for COVID-19 Trial Program) will help define the role of Lagundi for the treatment of COVID-19. “We are hoping that Lagundi will also decrease the number of patients who will progress to moderate and severe COVID disease and decrease mortality if given early in the disease,” the IHM states in its Facebook account.

Only 37 from over 150 screened patients qualified for the trial that started after the research project’s approval by the Food and Drug Authority and ethics approval by the UPM- NIH. However, the target number of volunteers for the clinical trial has yet to be reached.

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña has said they need around 200 COVID-19 patients displaying mild symptoms to complete the medical research. Dela Peña said the medical study seeks to find out if Lagundi could reduce the severity of coronavirus symptoms.

Lagundi (Vitex negundo) is a proven treatment for cough which is among the major and common symptoms of COVID-19. It was discovered by researchers of the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plants founded by Dr. Nelia Maramba in 1977. Her daughter, Dr. Cecilia Maramba-Lazarte, is director of IHM that conducts several researches on herbal and medicinal plants as potential cures for the common ailments of Filipinos. Lagundi has been commercialized into several brands that are now available in the market. 

Aside from Lagundi, the DOST is also conducting trials for the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil and tawa-tawa in the recovery of COVID-19 patients.

(With report from the IHM Facebook and Philippine News Agency website) 

Published in Healthscape Special COVID-19 Issue No. 18 (30 October 2020)