FG Partners Private Firm On Drugs For Sickle Cell Patients

In furtherance of the Private sector alliance with the Federal Government under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Idu and MAY and BAKER (M&B) in Abuja.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister said the commercialization of NIPRISAN herbal product, a drug for Sickle cell anemia, had come a long way to serve as a model for the production, development of regulatory guidelines for the assessment and registration of phytomedicines in Nigeria.

He noted that the project had been the first Herbal medicinal product in Nigeria to go through the full process of clinical studies starting from Phase one to the end, as such, it should be marketed to all Chief Medical Directors/MDs for the treatment of Sickle cell anemia.

Being the collaborative effort of the Federal Ministry of Health through NIPRD and May & Baker,  the Minister called for the establishment of MAY and BAKER laboratory in NIPRD. This, he said, would encourage the production of more drugs for the treatment of other ailments and further strengthen the collaboration between the two organizations for the overall benefit of Nigerians. “This is the beginning of many more products to come from NIPRD’’ Adewole added

Professor Adewole also commended President Mohammadu Buhari for giving the NIPRISAN Memo the fastest approval at the Federal Executive Council.

Speaking earlier, the Acting DG/NIPRD, Professor Kunle Olubayo, said in spite of initial challenges faced as regards commercialization of NIPRISAN,  the product has survived to prove that research could be done well in Nigeria.

He also informed that patients who were part of the Phase 2A studies in the Institute found NIPRISAN so useful that they formed a sickle Cell Club at the end of the study and subsequently requested that the Institute continued to provide them with the drug.

In his remarks, the Representative of May& Baker pharmaceutical company, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, reminded that M&B had been the first western company to produce drugs in Nigeria and as such she was committed to further the partnership through more research and production of other quality and affordable drugs in Nigeria to ensure the wellbeing of all.

 

Boade Akinola,

Director, Media and Public Relations

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