The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has approved funding for clinical trials of lagundi as an “adjuvant therapeutic” for Covid-19 patients.
Lagundi is a widely used herbal treatment for cough, respiratory and viral-related diseases in the country.
“The project aims to determine if lagundi, as adjuvant therapy, can provide symptomatic relief for ‘mild’ Covid-19 patients without co-morbidities,” Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said in an interview with the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).
“It also aims to determine if lagundi can decrease the number of patients who progress from mild to moderate or severe,” he added.
The clinical trials will be conducted by the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital.
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve the study, de la Peña said.
The DOST has been conducting studies on natural products such as virgin coconut oil, lagundi and tawa-tawa as Covid-19 therapeutics since June. John Ezekiel J. Hirro