JUST AS A REMINDER**** Reduce price of sickle cell drug – Minister
By Obinna Ezeobi, Abuja
Published: Monday, 13 Aug 2007
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, on Friday tasked Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Nicosan, a herbal sickle cell drug, to make the drug affordable to all Nigerians who need it.
Speaking while being conducted round Xechem’s laboratories, sited within the Science and Technology Complex, Sheda, Abuja , she said sickle cell affected persons from different strata of the society.
Ekpiwhre, who was excited to know that there was a made-in-Nigeria drug that could effectively control the disease, added that a reduction in the price of the drug would ensure that more sicklers had access to it.
She said, “I enjoin those in the sales of this product to consider that sickle cell cuts across every class of the society. It is not a respecter of any status in the society. That should be put into consideration in the retail price of this drug. In fact, it should be seen as your contribution towards alleviating the suffering of these people.”
The production retail price of Nicosan is said to be N3,000 for a dosage that will last for 30 days. However, retailers inflate the price to N7,000.
SHESTCO was established as a multi-disciplinary research and development centre to initiate and promote rational and innovative programmes for the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Nicosan is a herbal anti-sickening drug that has been in use since 1995 but only received NAFDAC certification in July 2006. It has also been approved by the United States Federal Drugs Agency.
The minister promised the support of her ministry to ensure that productivity was increased and to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of the drug.
She also regretted that the drug and other research findings of SHESTCO had not been well publicised to make sickle cell patients aware of the drug.
Ekpiwhre also called for wider publicity of gamma irradiation, a finding of SHESTCO
AI
