Reports quoted the Dean of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin as saying the drug had undergone “a series of successful tests”.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who addressed a media conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the agency had invited Ibeh to prove his claim. He warned members of the public against buying the drug because it had not been subjected to standard scientific protocols.
He said the don was wrong going public, saying it was the duty of the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to make the announcement after tests by NAFDAC.
Orhii said the product was never brought to his agency for vetting and neither was it subjected to any institutional scrutiny.
He said, “I wish to caution other persons who might want to follow in the footsteps of Prof. Isaiah Ibeh in making public claims for products whose safety and efficiency have not been scientifically proved to desist from such acts .
“There is a procedure laid down for determining the efficacy and safety of new medicines and this must be strictly adhered to.