is dreaming of Nicosan4All ;-)
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Xechem Develops NICOSAN & tries to find solutions
to Sickle Cell Anemia
Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited (Xechem Nigeria ), was registered in Nigeria in 2002 as a subsidiary of Xechem International Inc. with the headquarters located at New Brunswick Technology Center .
Dr. Pandey shows the prototype of
the Xechem Pharmaceuticals plants.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) has robbed nations of the much-needed contributions of young men and women for economic growth and development. At the start of the 21st century, there could be no better place for Xechem Nigeria to be born than in Nigeria , which consists of almost 40% of all Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) sufferers in the world. Xechem Nigeria came into existence as a spin-off from collaboration between Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) in Nigeria that started in 2000. Shortly after the Federal Government of Nigeria resolved to pursue R&D vigorously in biotechnology in 2000, a delegation was sent to the United States to explore potential collaboration that would facilitate the implementation of the government's vision to use biotechnology as a key tool to drive Science and Technology in the country into the 21st century. In August 2001, a joint conference on biotechnology was organized at Rutgers University, and Cook college New Brunswick, NJ between Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) and Rutgers University under the leadership of Dr. Soji Adelaja (then Dean of research at Cook College and New Jersey Agricultural Extension station-Inter Executive Dean) and Dr. Albert Ayeni, (Weed Scientist and later coordinator of international programs).
President and CEO of the organization Dr. Pandey represented Xechem International at this conference. What transpired during and after the conference propelled Dr. Pandey to explore possibilities in biotechnology in Nigeria . Prof. Turner T. lsoun, the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology invited Dr. Pandey to Nigeria at the end of the 2001 conference.
Dr. Pandey honoured the invitation and paid his first visit to Nigeria in November -December 2001 with Xechem intellectual property attorney and Dr. Albert Ayeni. On his very first visit, he developed interest in exploring biotechnology in the special area of drug development in Nigeria . The first product of interest was NIPRISAIN, (sickle cell drugs) which was introduced to him by Dr. Ayodele Coker, the Director of Sheda Science and Technological complex (SHESTCO) and later by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD). Director General, Dr. Uford Inyang. Prior to the 2001 biotechnology conference in the United States and his visit to Nigeria in November- December of the same year, he practically had no knowledge of Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Pandey was astonished to learn from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) the dimension of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Nigeria and he was disturbed to learn about the difficulty the Institute had with registering NIPRISAN and making it available to the public for (SCD) management. In spite of the difficult and peculiar business terrain that Nigeria has, he promptly took on the challenge to license NIPRISAN and get it to the Nigerian and International market for Sickle Cell Disease treatment worldwide.
After several trips between the United states and Abuja, Nigeria, and with many difficult challenges, he successfully concluded negotiations with National lnstitute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and the Federal Ministry of Health, on July 18, 2002 by signing an agreement for the transfer of exclusive ownership rights for R&D, production and worldwide sales and marketing of NIPRISAN to Xechem Intemational lnc. Shortly after, the Board of directors of Xechem International agreed to register Xechem pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd in 2002 to develop NIPRIASAN as NICOSAN for marketing in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Culled from the bridge magazine November 2005.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF NICOSAN TM/HEMOXIN TM
A DRUG FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE.
{ I realize this has been posted before, but felt it is worth repeating for those new to Xechem - It is a good summary IMO - from a .pdf}
7.0 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM (formerly NIPRISAN) is a drug first developed by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) for the management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). It consists of a mixture of extracts from four tropical plants some of which are cultivated and others
found in the wild both within and outside Nigeria.
The story of NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM will be incomplete without acknowledging some of the great minds, which have contributed immensely towards its development. Historically, a similar remedy was mentioned in the book titled “Iwosan” published by the late Dr. Odumosu at the turn of the century.
However, the modern day origin of what later became patented as NIPRISAN was due to the late Rev. Paul Ogunyale, then Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, who brought the attention of Prof. Charles Wambebe, former Director General, NIPRD in late 1992 to a herbal recipe of the drug.
From 1992 to 2001, Prof. Wambebe and his team of researchers at NIPRD, supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the World Health Organization (WHO), worked tirelessly to develop NIPRISAN as a potent drug for the management of SCD and was patented in the United States of America under the leadership of Prof. Wambebe. After the retirement of Prof. Wambebe from NIPRID, his successor, Dr. Uford S. Inyang continued tirelessly with more developmental work in taking NIPRISAN to a higher level.
7.1 THE BIRTH OF NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM
In August 2001, a joint conference on biotechnology was organized at Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ between the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Abuja and Rutgers University under the leadership of Dr. Soji Adelaja, who was then Dean of Research at Cook College and New Jersey
Agricultural Experiment Station (Cook/NJAES), and Dr. Albert Ayeni, then Weed Scientist at Cook/NJAES and currently Coordinator of International Programs of Cook/NJAES.
Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey, Chairman & CEO, Xechem International, Inc.,
represented his company at this conference. What transpired during and after the conference propelled Dr. Pandey to explore the possibilities in the applications of biotechnology for drug production in Nigeria. At the instance of Prof. Turner T. Isoun, the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Pandey visited Nigeria for the first time in October 2001 with Dr. Albert Ayeni. This visit aroused in Dr. Pandey the interest in exploiting biotechnology for drug development in Nigeria. The first product of interest, NIPRISAN was thus, introduced to him by Dr. Ayodele Coker, the Director- General of SHESTCO, and later by Dr. Uford S. Inyang, the Director- General of NIPRID.
1
In July 2002, negotiations were successfully concluded between NIPRD and Xechem International under the direction of Prof. A. B. C. Nwosu, then the Honourable Minister of Health. Xechem International was granted the exclusive rights for development, production and marketing of NIPRISAN. To give effect to the agreement, Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd, which is located within the premises of the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, was incorporated in 2002.
7.2 ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE:
Sickle cell Disease is a genetic blood disorder caused by an abnormality in the hemoglobin molecule as depicted in the figure below. The condition causes the production of abnormal hemoglobin that contains portions that stick together
after the release of oxygen. This phenomenon produces stiff, sickle shaped red blood cells that do not flow freely through blood vessels. These sickle shaped cells create clogs in the blood vessels, which prevent the flow of normal hemoglobin and oxygen round the body. The result is severe pain or “crises”,
ulcers, organ and tissue damage and breakdown, which eventually lead to stroke and acute chest pain. The body’s immune system also attacks and seeks to destroy the abnormally shaped cells, often leaving the body with an insufficient number of normal oxygen- carrying red blood cells, which in turn results in anemic condition that manifest in fatigue and enhanced susceptibility to infection. It is estimated that there are 10 million sufferers of SCD worldwide, of which about 4 million are Nigerians.
Sickle Cells Normal Cells
Repeated crisis can also result in damage to the kidneys, lungs, bones, eyes and the central nervous system. The most feared complication for children with SCD is a stroke which affects infants as young as 18 months. Many children with SCD do not survive infancy or early childhood. Adults with SCD often experience a reduction in the quality of life due to severe physical problems such as pain, Hard- foot syndrome and acute lung complications that can result in death. Frequent episode of severe bone pain, crises and hospitalization significantly affect the lives of these patients. It limits their ability to participate in normal physical activities, thus retarding their social 2 and economic advancement. It also deprives them of the joy of living life to the fullest and instills the fear of early death in them.
Before the advent for NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM the only known cure for the disease is a bone marrow transplant to replace defective red blood cells with donor healthy cells. Treatment has generally consisted of supporting therapies, which include folic acid for anemia, penicillin to prevent infections, pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, pain killing drugs and intravenous
injection of fluids. In the United States of America, Hydroxyurea is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of SCD. It is very expensive and toxic and patients treated with hydroxyurea
exhibit severe side effects.
7.3 HOPE FOR THE SICKLERS.
NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM is a non- toxic, phytopharmaceutical product
composed of extracts from four tropical plants, seeds, stems, fruits and leaves. Each plant is indispensable in the manufacturing of NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM. Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited has developed refined and standardized small- scale formulations of NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM for consistent production in strict compliance with the recommended procedures and policies of the WHO.
NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM has already undergone phase I and phase II clinical trials conducted in Nigeria by the NIPRD. Results from the phase III trials, if found satisfactory, will form the final basis for an application to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for regulatory
approval. Further laboratory testing among others have also been done at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - Sickle Cell Disease Reference Laboratory (NHLBI-SCDR Lab) located at the Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The results of these trials show that NICOSANTM/HEMOXINTM drastically reduced the degree of sickle cell formation, and the frequency and severity of SCD crises. Liver and kidney functions
remained normal and patients gained appreciable weight. No adverse effects were reported during the trials. These clinical studies suggest that NICOSANTM is a safe and efficacious phytomedicine for the management of SCD. It may have just paved the way for ending the misery and pain of millions of SCD
sufferers in Nigeria and the world at large.
Through the instrumentality of Dr. Pandey, and based on the background of work done at the Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia (CHOP) and other published literature in various indexed journals, on August 15th, 2003, NICOSAN™ (NIPRISAN) was granted an Orphan Drug status by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (US-FDA). The Orphan Drug
designation, entitles a company to various incentives including the waiver of Regulatory filing fees, access to potential funding for non- clinical and clinical research to generate required data for marketing approval, and seven years of
marketing exclusivity once approved by the FDA.
3
This was a major break- through since it was a far- fetched possibility that the US-FDA would designate NICOSANTM (NIPRISAN) Orphan Drug status. The Orphan Drug status has thus, added credibility and international acceptability to NICOSANTM (NIPRISAN) as a potent drug for the management of SCD.
4
http://www.shestco.org/5_tech_park/nicosan.pdf
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Does Niprisanฎ Retard the Evolution of Sickle Cell Retinopathy?
OE Babalola, Rachel Eye Center, PO Box 4108, Garki Abuja, Nigeria
C Wambebe, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu-Abuja, Nigeria
S Cousens, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Niprisan®, an antisickling agent, in the management of sickle cell retinopathy.
Methods: The study was designed as a phase IIb double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Eighty-eight patients aged between 5 and 36 years (mean 15.3 years) were randomized into 2 treatment groups. One group received Niprisan® at a dose of 12mg/kg per os per day and the other group a placebo in a similarly encapsulated form, for an initial period of six months. After a crossover without interval washout, the treatment was continued for a further six months. Ocular signs, including jaundice and corkscrew/comma sign in the anterior segment, and signs of non-proliferative, pre-proliferative and proliferative retinopathy in the posterior segment, were assessed with a view to identifying deteriorations within these parameters.
Results: A within-person analysis provided no evidence that Niprisan® reduced the risk of anterior segment deterioration (odds ratio = 0.91; 95% c.i. 0.35, 2.36; p=1.00). Thirteen individuals contributed to the posterior segment analysis, 3 of whom experienced deterioration whilst receiving Niprisan® (odds ratio = 0.30, 95% c.i. 0.05-1.17; p=0.09; Mcnemar chi2 = 3.17, p=0.05).
Conclusion: This study provides evidence that Niprisan® may reduce substantially the risk of posterior segment deterioration.
[Nig. J. Ophthalmology Vol.11(1) 2003: 34-41]
http://www.ajol.info/viewarticle.php?id=2502
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OT: Q&A: Bill Gates on life, philanthropy and competition
By John Boudreau
Mercury News Posted on Sun, Nov. 19,
Joanne Ho-Young Lee/Mercury News
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates talks with tech laureates Alvaro Eiras and Gustavo Pessoa, both of Brazil's Ecovec, at the Venture Network Showcase on Wednesday at San Jose's Tech Museum of Innovation.
Over the summer, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced he will leave his day-to-day involvement with the world's largest software company in July 2008. He plans to devote more of his time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
As Gates was plotting a new path for his life, his friend, investor Warren Buffett, announced he would give $31 billion to the Gates Foundation, a move that will eventually double the organization's assets to more than $60 billion. And it will increase its annual giving to about $3 billion.
Gates sat down with the Mercury News at his company's Mountain View campus last week to talk about his new life, philanthropic philosophy and global competition. Here is an edited version of the interview.
Q What problems do you feel need to be addressed on a global scale?
A Well, 12 million children a year die who shouldn't die, so we might start with that one. That's the biggest priority at our foundation: the way that human life is not treated equitably between rich countries and poor countries. In fact, there are 24 infectious diseases that, if we could come up with the right interventions, you can eliminate the vast majority of the difference.
Q Do you see parallels with your work as a global philanthropist and your work with Microsoft? Or are they completely different worlds?
A They're identical in a lot of ways. It's picking smart people who want to dedicate themselves to the problem, taking a long-term approach, being willing to have some failures and come back around and learn from those things; that paradigm of how we plan, how we pull the team together is virtually the same, and it's partly why the foundation has come in on these diseases. We've been able to galvanize a lot of activity very quickly.
Q Certainly, the software market is very competitive. Would you say trying to battle these diseases takes a competitive nature, as well?
A It takes persistence. It's not a competition in that people didn't focus on these things at all. When I gave $50 million to malaria, I doubled the amount of private money going into malaria. And yet that kills a million people a year.
Q What would you like your legacy to be?
A Nothing will ever equal the chance to be involved in the creation of this model of empowerment that the personal computer connected to the Internet, software on all devices, has created. People have a really hard time appreciating what it was like before we had that. So I don't think anything will equal that, even being part of these medicines.
But then again, I do get an immense amount of satisfaction at the foundation, and, in fact, that's why I had the dilemma of saying that as I want to ramp up the foundation work, saying to [Microsoft Chief Executive] Steve [Ballmer], ``OK, let's make sure that Microsoft can move full speed ahead.'' I'm so lucky to have people like [Chief Research and Strategy Officer] Craig Mundie and [Chief Software Architect] Ray [Ozzie] stepping up, so the fact that when I'm not there full time they'll fill the gap that creates.
Q On an emotional level, do you anticipate what you will feel the day you walk away from the day-to-day involvement at Microsoft?
A I'm sure that I'll miss it a lot, because I love working with Steve Ballmer, (Microsoft's business division president) Jeff Raikes -- all the incredible people at Microsoft. I'm not thinking that much about what it will be like because I'm still full time for quite some time and very engaged.
It could be that I'll flounder a little in the new model. I don't think it's so bad in your life to have things where you have to rethink things through. So I don't have the sense of what my calendar will look like, the way I do today. I've been doing this, the full-time job at Microsoft, for a long time, and what that feels like, I'm very, very comfortable with it. So I'll be somewhat outside my comfort zone, but I'm OK with that.
Q How will you give away $3 billion a year? Giving away money wisely, as you know, is very difficult.
A Well, particularly since half those resources are Warren Buffett's resources, that's sort of a sacred trust from him of his entire life's work. We want to be very smart about it. We're giving over a billion and a half (a year) today, so it's not starting from scratch. This is doubling in three years.
And although it's different than business, Microsoft more than doubled in less than three years several times. So some of these things about scaling up and all that are familiar to (foundation CEO) Patty Stonesifer or Melinda Gates and myself. But it requires you to think hard about not getting soft on efficiency. Q Do you ever think about being the biggest whale in the tub in the sense that when you move, you can cause a reaction that perhaps you didn't intend? You can have unintended positive, or even negative, consequences.
A The main impact we've had is to increase the attention on these deaths. So if that's a bad thing for people to understand that these deaths are taking place, and that it hasn't been well funded, then I guess the analogy applies. This has been an area almost no one pays attention to, and we're trying to change that. So whatever opinion you have of that, that's what we're doing.
Q In your role as Microsoft chairman, who do you view as your greatest competitor? Is it Google? Is that the company you most bump into in different markets?
A Google by a lot of criteria is probably at the top of the list. They're in this honeymoon phase of, Google can do anything at all times. If it was rumored they were doing pizza, you'd think it was going to be zero calories and free.
But that's fine, that's great. We have a pretty broad set of competitors. Traditionally, people have thought of IBM as our biggest competitor, and yet [there are numerous areas] -- Sony in video games, Nokia in phones, Oracle in databases. And Google's consumer-focused stuff only touches a piece of our product line, but I know search is a very visible thing, and they're the leader in that.
Q Do you think the rise of China and India as tech powerhouses threatens Silicon Valley and the United States in terms of future innovation?
A There was a time when the U.S. and Silicon Valley were the only places where people were doing this type of [high-tech] work. Now, is it good that other people are going to be inventing new medicines and new software? Absolutely. And should that mean that Silicon Valley renews its strength, which is incredibly unique with great universities, and great atmosphere for large companies and start-up companies and the way the collaborations take place between those? Yeah. It causes you to rededicate what made it unique.
But China will go from hardly being in this game at all to being a major player. That's a great thing for everybody. Likewise with India.
Q Could you talk about the role innovation can play in solving big problems in the developing world? Do you think Silicon Valley tends to think of innovation only in terms of Western markets?
A Most people don't see these conditions at all. Do they know what visceral leishmaniasis is, that it kills 300,000 people a year? The way (the news media) documents things like plane crashes . . . I don't understand why are they running those articles, because that's not the tragedy that happened that day; it's the ongoing set of diseases, some of which are unique to these tropical countries.
So as we get more awareness of these problems, we can draw on more of the world's IQ, particularly if we can highlight what's missing. If we can get people who understand nanotechnology or software or instrumentation to see these problems that the market alone might not draw them to, because these are not rich consumers, then we just dramatically increase the chance of a breakthrough.
The number of people thinking about all these ways to improve malaria, you know, redesigning bed nets, making them cheaper, attracting mosquitoes with a pheromone, changing mosquito genetics, there's all these ideas. The number of people -- great, smart people thinking about those things 10 years ago -- was almost zero.
Q So you are saying those of us who live in the United States exist in a sort of bubble in terms of not understanding the suffering and problems of those in the developing world.
A Absolutely. I've said many times that if we just re-sorted the world so that you randomly lived next to the majority [and knew] how the majority of people lived, you'd say, ``Oh my God, her baby just died of malaria; my God, look at that dirty water.'' And the IQ applied to this thing would be a thousand times bigger, because whenever you describe this to people, or they go out to these areas, they come away very affected.
Now, at first they're kind of daunted by the realization of what a bubble they've been living in, but then once they get used to that they think, well, we can make it better.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/16054836.htm
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New biotech era brings huge promise and dangers: Annan
(AFP)
18 November 2006
GENEVA - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Saturday called for a concerted international drive to both harness and control biotechnology, warning that the world was on the threshold of a new era similar to the advent of nuclear power.
Annan said in a speech at an award ceremony in Switzerland that biotechnology offered huge promise in terms of medical advances, environmental protection and food security for rich and poor.
But he warned that it also brought huge dangers if it fell into the wrong hands, with the threat of biological weapons or ‘accidents’ growing as scientific knowledge and skills become more widely available.
‘We find ourselves at a point akin to the one in the 1950s, when far-sighted citizens, scientists, diplomats and international civil servants recognised the enormous potential impact of nuclear power,’ Annan said in his speech.
‘The challenge then was to harness the power of nuclear energy for civilian use, while preventing the spread of nuclear weapons,’ the outgoing UN chief added.
Annan highlighted the development of new vaccines opened up by biotechnology to deal with long standing and emerging viruses, the prospect of new treatments for diabetes and other diseases.
‘The bright side of biotechnology reflects the best of human progress in the service of the deepest human needs,’ Annan said.
However, the recent reconstruction of the genome of the polio virus or of the lethal Spanish influenza virus that killed millions in 1918 were fraught with danger, he cautioned.
‘In the right hands and with the appropriate safety precautions, these are sound scientific endeavours that increase our knowledge of viruses,’ Annan said.
‘But if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be catastrophic,’ he added, warning of the potential for ‘the most profound human suffering’ through intentional disease outbreaks caused by states and individuals, or the accidental release of pathogens.
Annan called for a two-pronged global initiative.
One would use biotechnology and life sciences ‘to build better lives for people around the world’ by expanding the availability of new technologies encouraging transparency and increasing cooperation.
‘That includes improving human health and food security, and thereby encouraging economic growth and reducing global inequalities,’ he said.
The second involved bringing together myriad discussions on safeguards against biological weapons and other risks by scientists, the Red Cross, different UN bodies and faltering attempts to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention.
‘How to reach workable consensus on appropriate measures is a subject crying out for focused global debate,’ he said.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/November/theworld_Novembe...
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Nigeria: Foreign Reserves Hit 41 Billion Dollars
This Day (Lagos)
November 17, 2006
Posted to the web November 17, 2006
Central Bank Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has disclosed that the nation's foreign reserve stands at $41 billion as at the end of October 2006.
Soludo disclosed this at an interactive session with members of the House of Representatives committee on Finance yesterday in Abuja.
He said as at October 31, the balance in the excess crude oil account, stood at $9.4 billion, while the balance of recovered funds during the same period was $18 million and one million pounds sterling.
Defending the proposed borrowing to finance the 2007 budget deficit, Soludo said the decision was to avoid inflation that may be caused by excess liquidity.
To use proceeds from the excess crude account, as advised by the chairman of the committee, Abdullahi Umar, would not be helpful, the CBN boss added.
He said that would mean taking out N300 billion for such purpose.
He said doing so would mean taking more than one trillion naira because the sates and local governments would have to benefit too from their shares.
In his submission, the Director- General of the Budget Office, Mr Bode Augusto, said no part of the excess crude proceeds would be shared before the end of December.
Augusto said that in preparation of the 2007 budget, micro stability was given utmost priority as against expected revenue expenditure.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200611170180.html
Make unity your watchword, pharmacists urged
By Chinyere Amalu
{my bold highlights}
Nigerian Pharmacists have been enjoined to place unity at the centerpoint of their activities in carrying out their professional calling. Chairman Governing Board of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Mr. Nwofili Adibuah made the call in Abuja during the dinner merit award night of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) 2006 Week celebration to honour 18 outstanding pharmacists noted that pharmacists can only make a remarkable contribution in repositioning the health sector if they are united.
His words: “The pharmacist should go into collaboration and form a strong force in the will move health care service delivery forward in the country. A tree cannot make a forest.
“You should not allow mediocrity take over the industry. It will be a greater degree of our development if the health sector is repositioned with pharmacists taking strategic position in the primary health care services”, he stated.
Speaking on the important of the award, PSN Abuja Chairman, Pharm. Ernest Okoli called on pharmacists to be transparent and allow integrity to take the centre piece of their services to humanity.
Said Okoli: “You will all agree with me that reward does have quality. In this respect, the recognition and celebration we display must draw from fidelity and credibility of the process that set our honourees apart from ordinarily numerous deserving members of the society.
“Essentially in endeavouring to celebrate excellence and standard as we do tonight, it’s extremely important that the name and seal that is put behind such celebration is a name that conveys honour, integrity, transparency and uprightness.
“Over the years pharmaceutical society of Nigeria has become another name for integrity in Nigeria. We are determined to intensify this so that through the examples and standards we set other professionals and business practices in Nigeria will begin to learn one or two steps from us and in so doing transform Nigeria to a country of honourable men with business integrity.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/features/health/gh314112006.html
OT:Sabre68 - last effort lol
Check your MSIE (whichever one you are now using) and ensure that you have 'history'...(IE options/general/history)... If you have cleared your history or if you do not have history set to xx number of days this MAY be your problem. I have a large hammer in the back room I bring out in cases like you are experiencing... just keeping it in the vicinity sometimes scares the box into behaving lol.
edit: ensure that you are not running third party software that clears your history automatically for you...
OT:Sabre68
... this will do it or you may need to run your operating system again to repair MSIE...
...tools/internet options/general/colors/select your choice from the links option on rh side for visited-unvisted.
OT: Sabre68
If you're using xp/2000/ME, and you have not added new programs recently, try system restore to latest previous point. Overkill for an 'annoyance' but should solve it.
OT: Sabre68
you could try tools/internet options/general/ tab for temp int files - settings: select 'every visit...' and provide at least 10MB of space. You may wish to reboot as well.
Senate To Amend Electoral Act
I post this because election timing MAY have an effect on new factory completion time-frame. Bold highlights are mine.
By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi. Snr Correspondent, Abuja
15th November
Senators are against Section 7 of the Electoral Act (2006) which empowers the President to shift the date of elections once recommended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Bill was passed into law by the Senate on March 28, but it resolved on Tuesday to amend the section and would soon distance itself from the inclusion of the clause in the Act.
It decided to scrutinise the sequence of the 2007 elections, which lists National Assembly elections before governorship and Presidential ballots.
Senators may expunge Section 7 from the Act, now used by the INEC to prepare for the elections.
Senate Spokesman Victor Ndoma-Egba confirmed that "there is the possibility of amending the Electoral Act, 2006. Our duty is to ensure that elections are free and fair and are on schedule. So, our duty is to amend it."
Members queried the version of the Act in INEC’s custody and have called for the Senate Votes and Proceedings for clarification, as it contains irregularities not passed by the Senate.
A member present at the closed session on Tuesday said, "Senators expressed concern that, with the way INEC has failed with the voter registration, there are fears that next year’s elections may be postponed.
"What we discovered is that contrary to what we passed, Section 7 of the Act empowers the President to shift the election upon recommendation by the INEC. We decided to set up a committee to amend the Act so that we will deal with that clause once and for all. We will expunge it and we intend to liaise with the House of Representatives so that it can be done expeditiously."
Should President Olusegun Obasanjo refuse to sign the amended version into law, the Senate would wait for the mandatory three months and override him by a veto.
Another senator disclosed that "members are also interested in knowing how the sequence of the elections changed. We did the sequence in such a way that the election of governors and the President would come first, followed by National Assembly elections. But in the Electoral Act that we are now seeing, National Assembly elections come first.
"When we asked questions, we were told that the clause was amended at the Joint Conference with the House of Representatives. What we have demanded to know is, who changed the sequence? At what point did it change? We have also asked our members from the House of Representatives to give us their own Votes and Proceedings, to know when it was changed."
Reporting progress at the end of the session, Senate President Ken Nnamani announced the decision to probe lapses in the registration exercise.
http://www.independentngonline.com/news/44/ARTICLE/15223/2006-11-15.html
Britain warns Nigeria over 2007
ERASMUS ALANEME and ANGELA ENE-OKPOTU, Abuja
BRITAIN yesterday urged the Federal Government to strictly adhere to the election time table released by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for next year’s polls.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Gozney who gave the advice in Abuja however warned that foreign friends of the country will continue the existing cordial relationship only under a democratic dispensation.
Similarly, Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for credible, free and fair polls.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, Gozney enjoined Nigerians to work towards the conduct of the 2007 general elections by ensuring that the exercise is credible, free and fair, even as he advised aggrieved losers in the impeachment gale sweeping across the country to seek redress in the court of law.
Speaking at the launch of the National Roll-out of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course for Trainers of English Language Teachers in Abuja, Sir Gozney stated that Nigeria is at the threshold of making history as May 29 will mark the first time a democratically elected government will be handing over power to another democratically elected government.
According to him, the issue of 2007 election is very important and one that all Nigerians and friends of the country should work very hard to ensure that it turns out to be a success.
Said he: "Never has Nigeria managed eight years of continuous democracy. Therefore it is important that the dates of 14th of April schedule for gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections and 21st of April for the presidential elections hold. It is equally important that the transfer of power takes place soon after."
"We look forward to the 29th of May next year; to celebrate eight years of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s reform programmes and cheering him and his ministers and looking forward to another four years or more of reforms, and changes to bring the things Nigerians wants to enhance their public lives to reality. It is therefore important we work together to make sure that a credible and transparent election takes place. It is only when there is good governance that development can take place. For instance, we did not contribute to National Teachers Institute (NTI) during the military era, but we are doing it now."
On the impeachment of State governors in the country, he said that it is not an issue any foreigner can speak on because the issue of impeachment is a constitutional matter to be settled by the court of the land.
According to him "the impeachment of governors is a matter of the Nigerian law. It is a matter for the court to decide. If the people feel that impeachment is wrong, they should take it to the court, right away to the supreme court."
"You have a law-based system of civilian administration. And if the people are unhappy about what has happened, it is for the law to decide whether the unhappiness is well founded or not."
In his remarks, the Chief Executive of the (NTI), Dr. Ahmed Mohammed commended the British Council for contributing towards enhancing the quality of spoken and written English in Nigeria through the CPD which is a programme meant for the training of teachers of English language in primary and secondary schools in the country.
Dr. Mohammed lamented the abuse of English language despite its status as the nation’s official language, caused by serious shortfalls of teachers of the subject in our schools and the inadequate opportunities for continuing professional development provided not only to school teachers but also trainers of English teachers.
He the one year duration CPD course will now address the issue of substandard English both in the public and private lives of Nigerians.
Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stressed on the need
For Nigeria "to have credible free and fair elections that will put the right leadership in place in 2007", as a way to promote peace, prosperity and unity in the country.
Receiving a delegation of pro-democracy groups under the umbrella of Coalition for Democracy (C D) at the State House Abuja , Atiku noted the important position
Nigeria in Africa , and the world which is why a smooth and credible transition is expected of her.
The electoral process leading to the 2007 elections should be seen as credible and transparent to all parties, he said, adding "we must ensure that the 2007 elections will be a greater improvement over the previous ones", he said.
He commended the group for all its activities especially its quest for the ideals of democracy and good governance saying this were ideals which he would always identify with.
The group’s National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Abacha, thanked the Vice President for granting them audience and described him as a great pillar of democracy with whom they would also continue to identify with.
http://www.champion-newspapers.com/news/article_3.htm
Why I‘m in the Race, By Yar’Adua 2007 Presidency
lsd673 bold highlights
From Oke Epia in Abuja and Idowu Sowunmi in Lagos, 11.18.2006
2007 Presidency
Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Yar’-Adua, has said that he joined the race for President Olusegun Obasanjo’s job in 2007 out of his personal conviction.
Speaking with journalists yesterday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he picked the presidential nomination form, Yar’Adua denied that he joined the race because Obasanjo has endorsed him to be next president.
“Let me state for the avoidance of doubt that the decision for me to join the race is strictly my personal decision and it was arrived at as a result of discussions with my political associates and colleagues,” he said.
The Governor’s move to pick the PDP nomination form confirms THISDAY’s exclusive story last Sunday that Aso Rock Villa may have anointed him to take over from President Obasanjo whose term of office expires May 29, 2007. THISDAY had reported that Obasanjo may have settled for the younger brother of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua because he had shown the least level of interest in the race when some of his colleagues have virtually abandoned governance in their states for the pursuit of the presidency. The President is also said to believe that Yar’Adua will be more accommodating of a role for him in retirement.
The younger Yar’Adua explained that he did not express his intention to become president before now because the PDP had not released the guidelines and time-table for the primaries and that it was wrong for him to have abandoned his subsisting mandate in Katsina State in pursuit of a higher ambition.
“It will be irresponsible of me to start aspiring 12 months before while I am still saddled with the responsibility of governing Katsina State,” he said, adding that within the next four weeks he would be traversing the country to drum up support for his aspiration.
He said it is right for the next president to emerge from the crop of governors because that level of governance provides a pool for the higher office of president even in established democracies.
On his programmes, Yar’Adua said he would stick with the on-going reforms of the Federal Government, which he said forms the manifesto of the PDP, pointing out that continuation of the reforms is absolutely necessary because without it the country cannot make progress.
He said he would reach out to the associates of his late brother in the PDP in the course of his campaign, noting that he has the greatest respect for them. The governor denied allegations that he teleguided the ward congresses in Katsina State, saying that he is merely exercising his fundamental right for preference for a particular aspirant among those gunning for his seat in 2007 in the affairs of PDP in the state.
With yesterday’s picking of form by Yar’Adua, the race to 2007 presidential elections appears to be taking a definitive direction.
THISDAY had exclusively reported last Sunday that Aso Rock apparatchiks had narrowed choice for a possible replacement to President Obasanjo to Yar'adua.
Yar'Adua was one of the northern governors who had shown little or no interest in the presidential race. Sources close to the presidency said that President Obasanjo had for sometime now been shopping for a credible successor, who would sustain his reform programme and ensure the unity of the country.
And in an apparent response to the President's concern for a credible successor, the Aso Rock political apparatus eventually considered the candidacies of Yar'Adua, Peter Odili (Rivers), Donald Duke (Cross River), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi) and Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna).
However, Yar'Adua's candidacy was said to have been highly favoured. This may be as a result of the long-standing relationship between late Musa Yar'Adua and President Obasanjo. The Katsina State governor is a brother to late Shehu Yar'Adua. Late Yar'Adua served Obasanjo as the second-in-command when Obasanjo ruled as military Head of State between 1975 and 1979. Late Yar'Adua was said to have served been loyal to Obasanjo during that dispensation.
Perhaps Governor Yar'Adua's aspiration may have been boosted by the same loyalty that had endeared the President to his late brother. Beyond this, Yar'Adua is perceived as a performer and possesses an unparalleled and unblemished anti-corruption record.
The Katsina State governor remains the only elected official who publicly declared his asset after his election in 1999. He was re-elected governor in 2003 and is adjudged to have during these periods brought vibrancy and exemplary leadership into public service like his late brother.
His father, Mallam Musa Yar'Adua, was the first Minister of Lagos Affairs in the First Republic. Before the death of his father in 1993, Mallam Yar'Adua was Mutawallen Katsina. In 2002, Governor Yar'Adua stepped into the shoes of his father and was turbaned Mutawallen Katsina, which means custodian of treasury in the Katsina Emirate.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=63554
I'm back to school in 2007, says Obasanjo
By Ola Ajayi
Posted to the Web: Saturday, November 18, 2006
IBADAN — PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo has said that come 2007, he would enrol as a student at the National Open University of Nigeria to lay a good example that education can be obtained at any age.
While speaking as a visitor at the 58th Foundation Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan, he stated his belief that open university would provide access for many Nigerians who could not be admitted into the mainstream of university education. It is expected that by March 2007, the open university would have a capacity to admit more than 100,000 students amongst whom will be my humble self as an example to others that no matter your position or how busy you may claim to be, you can spare time to learn.
He hinged the nagging problems confronting most Nigerian universities on over reliance of universities on government funding rather than source for funds from private sector to enhance their performance.
On the President of Mac Arthur Foundation, Mr. Jonathan Fanton who had donated $7m to the institution as his own contribution to improve standard of education, Obasanjo said “he believes in Nigeria. Not only does he believe in Nigeria, he defends Nigeria whereever he goes. Anybody that says unpleasant thing about Nigeria, he takes up his pen and says it is not right."
In his own address, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode said that the purpose of teaching and scholarship at any level must be the stimulation of intellectual curiosity, the development of critical judgement, social consciousness and rigorous indoctrination, not in any perjorative sense, in the correct use of language and acceptable behaviour.
He however regretted that the utilitarian value of education had since overtaken these vital signs of the collective well being of our people. Our universities too had been coerced into raising vocational education to the level of academic standards for the convenience of attaching academic appelation to it.
Onosode further noted that despite these decadent tendencies, less attention is unwittingly being paid to cahracter building and reinforcement which he added constitutes a real challenge. “our university must therefore continue to enhance intellectual acuity and broaden the application of knowledge while insisting on time-honoured tradition awarding degrees to citizens who have been found truly worthy, first in character, and then in learning, for the socio-economic and political deveolpment of our dear nation”.
He commended the administration of the university for its untiring effort at meeting the challenges of managing this community of scholars. It is not an easy task to manage articualte people who are prepared, ready and willing at all times to challenge every decision, no matter how innocuos or beneficial.
Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olufemi Bamiro expressed his happiness over the recent transformation in the school saying things are begining to take a good shape having taken into cognisance reduction in cases of strike actions and cultic activities. He also gave kudos to the federal government for the improved funding of university education system saying the institution has felt the impact of the FG in the last seven years
Chancellor of the university, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero said university education in the country needed urgent action most especially when compared with others in Europe and America. Owing to this wide margin, he said the country must take giant strides to keep abreast with the rest of the world. He prayed that the Almighty Allah would grant the wisdom to steer the ship of our nation to the promise land.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/nationalx/nr518112006.html
‘I started pharmaceutical business with only N3000’
Jacob Obinna • Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
Pharmaceutical business which involves the buying and selling of genuine drugs and general medicine for the good health of the society, is another business that thrives in Rivers State. Its lucrative nature is a major attraction to many business executives who are engaged in it.
One of those involved in this health related business is Immaculate killian, medical scientist and proprietoress of Immaculate Pharmacy stores, Port Harcourt, one of the leading pharmacy stores in the state.
Speaking with The Weekend Tide recently, the Akwa Ibom State born business tycoon said right from her childhood, she had always loved good health with a burning desire to assisting in curing sicknesses in the society which made her to join the business at a tender age.
She explained that she went into apprentices for three years within which period she was able to save N3000.00 after her graduation, she opend her own pharmacy with the N3000.00, in the later part of 1999, and by God’s grace and hard work the business had expanded and she has trained workers who sell for her.
She disclosed that she now has two branches at Elelenwo and Akpajo and she had been able to train her self in the university. Today she has a masters degree in medical science from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, in addition to other achievements which had made her what she is in the society today.
The president of Star Ladies Club of Port Harcourt, a social organisation for the empowerment of young ladies in the society, described the pharmaceutical business as a rewarding and honourable venture as it helps to build a healthy society.
She, however, regretted the damage done to the business by the fake drug dealers. According to her, the nefarious activities of the quacks and fake drug dealers had dented the image of the business and those engaged in it.
The pharmaceutical dealer commended the laudable achievements of Prof. Dora Akunyili, Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in the war against fake drugs, and added that the activities of the agency had contributed greatly to the eradication of fake drugs and sanitisation of the industry in Nigeria.
She expressed gratitude to the Director General for ensuring that the culprits were arrested prosecuted and imprisoned as it would serve as deterrent to others.
According to her, the development has not only improved the image of the pharmaceutical industry, but saved the society from untimely death through fake and adulterated drugs.
The proprietores therefore, advised those who might want to join the business to be focused, determined and have the natural zeal to truly engage in genuine business and shun fake and adulterated drugs as they are not only dangerous to human body, but contributes to the high mortality rate in the country.
http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=11/18/2006&qrTitle=‘I%20started%20pharmaceu....
Also, the PR was published...
EXIMBank approves $9.38m for Xechem Pharmaceuticals
• Thursday, Oct 26, 2006
The United States Export-Import Bank (US EximBank) has approved a comprehensive guarantee to support $9.38 million loan from UPS capital to Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited.
A report said Access Bank and Diamond Bank would provide the required local guarantee for the loan in favour of the US EximBank.
The report indicated that the funds were earmarked for the establishment of the state-of-the-art pharmaceutical facility in Sheda Science village Abuja.
The funds to be approved by UPS capital under the Exim guaranteed loan will be used to purchase the United States manufactured plant equipment and machinery needed by Xechem Nigeria to establish a state-of-the-arm pharmaceutical facility. The first phase of the construction of the new facility has since commenced.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $12.45 million, of which $9.38 million come from the US loan. When completed, it will enable Xechem Nigeria to produce commercial scale quantities of NICOSAN (TM), Xechem’s breakthrough medicine for the prophylactic management of Sickle Cell Diseases (SCD).
It was learnt that Xechem Nigeria received regulatory approval for the manufacture, sales and marketing of NICOSAN (TM) from Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in July and officially launched the drug just a few days later at a ceremony presided over by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The drug is currently being produced by Xechem Nigeria in limited quantities at its pilot-scale facility in Abuja.
http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=10/26/2006&qrTitle=EXIMBank%20approves%20$9.38m%2...
NAFDAC arrests 60 drug hawkers
Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
NAFDAC has arrested 60 drug hawkers in Katsina State so far this year, the agency's state Controller, Malam Mairaki Sani, has said.
Sani told newsmen in Katsina that the menace of drug hawkers had persisted in spite of NAFDAC's effort.
He harped on need for the state Ministry, of Health, traditional rulers and religious leaders to intervene.
“We have been conducting aggressive enlightenment campaigns against drug vendors, but every market day we arrest 10 to 20 drug hawkers.
“We are, therefore, appealing to all stakeholders to assist in controlling the menace,” he said.
The controller announced that the agency had arrested and fined 20 persons for producing unregistered products in the state.
He said fake and expired drugs worth more than N200,000 were confiscated from chemists, patent medicine stores and drug hawkers in the state during the year.
The confiscated drugs, he said, would be taken to Jigawa for destruction soon.
Sani warned against the sale of fake and expired drugs as well as unregistered products as NAFDAC would not relent in arresting defaulters.
http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=11/18/2006&qrTitle=NAFDAC%20arrests%2060%20drug%2...
This is the news item ace65 saw:
November 15, 2006 10:15 AM Eastern Time
Operation Sickle Cell, Inc. & Stedman-Wade Federally Qualified Health Center of Fayetteville, North Carolina Receives $1.28 million Grant from HRSA
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation Sickle Cell, Inc. of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in collaboration with the Stedman-Wade Federally Qualified Health Center, has been awarded $1.28 million over the next four years from the Health Resources & Services Administration to address the needs of sickle cell disease patients.
The grant, one of four awarded nationally, is to fund a pilot program that establishes a seamless continuum of care for adult and pediatric sickle cell disease patients in the four North Carolina county areas of Cumberland, Hoke, Harnett and Robeson. Results from the four grants will guide national policy regarding services to the sickle cell community.
Partners in this project include Duke University Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Southern Regional Family Medical Center, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Emergency Services Department and Fayetteville State University. The partners will work together to enhance the prevention and treatment of sickle cell disease through the coordination of service delivery, genetic testing and counseling, bundling of technical services and training of health professionals.
Telemedicine technology is being planned to help ease the geographic and financial burdens that low-income rural sickle cell patients endure in getting access to specialty care. In addition, there is a chronic shortage of Hematologists and other specialty care providers in eastern North Carolina. The telemedicine network will include Stedman-Wade Health Center and Operation Sickle Cell, Inc., the latter being a ‘community-based’ site for the network with Duke Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center providing the needed specialists for consultation.
ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells, is the most prevalent genetic blood disease in the world and can be found among African Americans, Africans, Latin Americans, Brazilians, Greeks, Italians and Indians. Currently there is no universal cure for sickle cell disease. A simple painless blood test followed by a laboratory technique called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis will determine the type of hemoglobin a person has.
ABOUT OPERATION SICKLE CELL
Operation Sickle Cell, Inc., founded by Mary E. McAllister, has a 34-year history of providing services that benefit the sickle cell patient population. OSC, Inc. currently provides over 300 sickle cell patients with disease education, counseling, case management, on-site Duke Medical Clinics, support groups and a summer camp. Most of these services are supported by State government funds, and are offered free of charge to residents of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke and Robeson counties.
ABOUT STEDMAN-WADE HEALTH SERVICES
Stedman-Wade Health Services operates a federally qualified health center for the residents of Cumberland County, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Their mission is to provide a quality, accessible range of primary medical and dental health care services to a population that has the 3rd highest number of uninsured patients in the state.
Contacts
Operation Sickle Cell, Inc.
Mary E. McAllister, 910-488-6118; 910-488-6810 fax
www.sicklecellnc.org
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061115005...
voted # 205 eom
Not true...
over 90% of the SCD patients are in Nigeria!
Only about 25% of SCD sufferers reside in Nigeria.
16 Nov 2006 11:58 p.m.
The pics of Margie Chassman & Evan, New York, NY
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject: The pics of Margie Chassman & Evan, New York, NY
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