…Fears It Will Harm Humans
By Patrick Titus, Uyo
The Civil Society Network on Hepatitis in Nigeria CiSNHN has voiced concern regarding Namdavir’s public launch. Namdavir is a herbal product developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA). It is presented to Nigerians as a treatment for Hepatitis B.
The product was launched on July 28, 2026 during an official visit by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology to the Agency’s Lagos headquarters, alongside six other herbal products for various conditions.
A statement by CiSNHN National Coordinator, Dr. Nseabasi Ekanem, the product before the public launch has not passed through the due clinical examination to authenticate its efficacity for human consumption.
According to Dr. Ekanem, CiSNHN has deeply considered it that a product can be announced to the public as a treatment for a serious viral infection ahead of, rather than after, the clinical evaluation that would normally determine whether it is safe and effective.
“As an organisation working directly with millions of Nigerians living with viral hepatitis, we consider it deeply concerning that a product can be announced to the public as a treatment for a serious viral infection ahead of, rather than after, the clinical evaluation that would normally determine whether it is safe and effective.
“From all information publicly available to us, Namdavir has not been subjected to the rigorous clinical trials required to establish its safety and efficacy in human beings living with Hepatitis B.
“Reports from the launch indicate that the Agency’s own presentation referenced laboratory (in-vitro) studies and called for the establishment of a Clinical Observational Research Centre to accelerate clinical trials – language that itself confirms such trials have not yet been concluded,” Dr. Ekanem stated.
He stressed that the sequence risks of giving patients false hope, may discourage them from continuing proven, evidence-based care, and sets a troubling precedence for how new therapies are communicated to the public.
CiSNHN therefore dissociated itself from any endorsement, implied or otherwise, of Namdavir as a treatment for Hepatitis B.
It urged members of the public and particularly persons living with Hepatitis B, not to substitute or discontinue their existing care in favour of this product until it has been independently evaluated and approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The group therefore urged the NNMDA and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to complete full clinical evaluation of Namdavir, and to publish the results transparently, before further public promotion of the product as a treatment for Hepatitis B.
The group reiterated that patients should continue to consult their healthcare providers and remain on their prescribed treatment regimens.
CiSNHN, the group added, supports the development of local pharmaceutical and natural medicine capacity in Nigeria and recognises the economic and health promise such innovation holds.
“Our concern is solely that any product offered to the public as treatment for a life-threatening viral infection must first meet the standard of proof that protects patients: rigorous clinical trials, transparent data and regulatory approval,” CiSNHN maintained.
