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Prof Matsabisa
Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa is a professor and Director of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS)

The Department of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS) and FARMOVS have teamed up to conduct the first South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)-approved multicentre controlled clinical trial of a plant-based product, PHELA, on mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.  

According to Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, professor and Director of Pharmacology at UFS, it is anticipated that the trial will start in early April with each patient being on treatment for 28 days.

“The main purpose of the clinical trial is to confirm that the product can treat COVID-19 and be registered as a medication for this indication. We believe the medication works as an immune modulator to modulate the cytokine storm due to COVID-19 and also restores and normalises the patient’s immune system. We plan to have 250 patients who suffer from mild to moderate COVID-19,” explains Prof Matsabisa. 

This pivotal study, he says, is based on the modification of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Master protocol for clinical trials. The use of FARMOVS, a wholly owned clinical research company of the UFS Bloemfontein campus, for this clinical trial was to implement the collaborative initiatives between UFS and FARMOVS on clinical research, training, and other research projects.

What is PHELA?

Prof Matsabisa, deputy president of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Society (SASBCP), says the development of PHELA has been under stringent scientific scrutiny for its safety in both preclinical and clinical research. The efficacy of PHELA as both an immune modulator and an anti-SARS-COV-2 has been proven in vitro and in vivo with reproducible results conducted by three independent research institutions and a science council.
The Department of Pharmacology and FARMOVS are collaborating on a number of studies to advance clinical research on African Traditional Medicines (ATM).

On the use of PHELA, Prof Matsabisa explains: “PHELA is a herbal product made of four medicinal plants. Traditionally PHELA has been claimed for use for a historical disease called muyaga, but recently has been scientifically tested and found effective as an immune modulator and benefiting persons with a compromised immune system.
“The PHELA plants are found in most provinces of South Africa and we have cultivated them to control their growth to produce quality raw materials.” 

“The SAHPRA-approved clinical trial will be conducted in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. The clinical trial will be conducted by a complement of medical staff and clinicians with vast experience of many active years of clinical trials.
 
“The study, we believe, is a benchmark for all future traditional medicines clinical trial protocols and studies. The studies are expected to start immediately after the product batch manufacturing of the study product, PHELA, is completed and this will be within a month’s time. “A lot of good scientific preclinical safety and efficacy research has gone into the development of the study product for it to reach this stage.

“The efficacy studies have shown convincingly that PHELA is an immune reconstitution product and does have an effect in killing the SARS-COV-2 virus and most of its variants.  PHELA efficacy, therefore, needs to be confirmed through randomised controlled multicentre clinical trials in COVID-19 patients,” Prof Matsabisa says.

Medicinal plants have previously been used to eradicate life-threatening viruses 

Although medicinal plants have been used to combat previous pandemics such as the Spanish flu, avian influenza and others, we still believe rigorous control and efficacy thereof is still to be supported by scientific research and development, says Prof Matsabisa. 

Prof Matsabisa, the current chairperson of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicines (REACT), adds: “We have better technologies and resources now, which is why we should take the next step in research to promote consumer safety and to offer them effective alternatives. We do the science to aid in building the herbal industry and develop sustained consumer confidence in traditional medicines. 

Africa should lead the way to a healthier future for all
“My vision is for Africa to share our valuable resources with the world by developing, and distributing world-class medicinal solutions. We should develop and strengthen the pharmaceutical local production of well-researched, quality, safe and efficacious African traditional medicines as commercial products. We are more than capable of doing so and now is the time to do it. Numerous discussions have taken place where other African countries will join South Africa in conducting multicentre studies in clinical trials for traditional medicines. 

“We need to develop or create, based on this current collaborative work with partners like FARMOVS, health centres with a strong focus on African medicines, health products and healing, but in a very strong collaborative initiative with other health systems”, concludes Prof Matsabisa.

Prof Matsabisa was recently awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) in Beijing, China. He was also recommended to Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, to be part of the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) working group in traditional medicine through his participation in the national department of health technical committee on traditional medicines where he has been appointed by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla.

News Archive

Politicians must push economic integration within SADC, Mboweni
2009-08-31

The outgoing Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr Tito Mboweni (pictured), believes that for economic regional integration to be realized among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, the political leadership of the region should play a pivotal role.

Mr Mboweni delivered the CR Swart Memorial Lecture, the oldest lecture at the University of the Free State, on the topic: “Seeking greater political and economic integration in Southern Africa in challenging and turbulent financial times”.

He said the necessary macro-economic convergence accords must be put in place for regional integration to take place.

These accords, he said, should be supported by prudent fiscal policies, financial balances among SADC countries, and the implementation of policies which will minimize market distortions.

“In the crafting of the macro-economic policies of the region we have to ensure that market certainty is maintained,” he said.

He said as governors of central banks in the region they have agreed that to achieve these objectives they first have to attain a free trade area.

“When the proposals were drafted the idea was that in 2008 we should have achieved a free trade area,” he explained. “Now we are behind in that regard, meaning that a free trade area has been formally and officially declared but the implementation thereof is behind schedule.”

Mr Mboweni said they were supposed to have a SADC-wide customs union in 2010, a SADC common market in 2015 and a monetary union in 2016.

“In order for us to move towards the regional integration agenda it is clear that there has to be a far greater intra-African trade than is the case now,” he said.

“In Southern Africa most of the trade is with South Africa and the other countries do not trade much with or amongst each other.”

He also said because the South African currency is legal tender in countries like Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, they have developed a comprehensive set of proposals with these countries to deal with this matter.

“Our proposals basically center on the creation of a common central bank for South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland which, if created, would form a good basis for the establishment of a SADC-wide central bank.”

He said the macro-economic convergence criteria will not help achieve regional integration without the region’s political will.

“There has to be a commitment by the political leadership in Southern Africa to do the basic things that need to be done for the development of the region,” he said.

“That is where the notion of a developmental state must come in in support of these regional integration initiatives. There is no gain in just shouting developmental state if the basic issues supportive of development are not done.”

Mr Mboweni will leave the Reserve Bank in November this year.


Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za  
31 August 2009

 

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