COA Research and Manufacturing Limited Company (COARMLC) has refuted claims suggesting that its product, COA-72, is undergoing clinical trials as an anti-HIV drug.
The company says the widely circulated report, published by the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, was inaccurate and did not reflect the facts shared during a recent visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to its facilities.
In a statement signed by management and released on Monday, July 28, 2025, COARMLC described the media coverage as misleading and reiterated its commitment to upholding scientific truth, regulatory procedures, and honest communication with the Ghanaian public and global partners.
“The publication misrepresented our position. Nowhere did we state that COA-72 is in active clinical trials for HIV treatment,” the company stressed. “We are compelled to issue this clarification to prevent the public from being misled and to reaffirm our integrity as a science-driven institution.”
The controversy stems from a working visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to COARMLC’s facilities on Monday, July 14, 2025.
While the engagement was meant to showcase ongoing research initiatives, COARMLC says a Daily Graphic article wrongly interpreted the interaction to suggest that COA-72 had entered official clinical trial stages.
Following the publication, COARMLC promptly contacted Daily Graphic, leading to a rejoinder published on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Ghana also stepped in, issuing a disclaimer confirming that no clinical trial on COA-72 for HIV treatment had been approved, further validating COARMLC’s position.
“We commend the FDA for their swift response in correcting the public narrative,” the statement read.
Credit: JOYONLINE