Xechem International Inc. (fka XKEM)

[Satchitananda]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200412230510.html

A manufacturing company, Xechem Nigeria Ltd, is set to commence production of a drug for the treatment of sickle cell anaemia patients.

Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease, which under certain circumstances causes the red blood cell of a sufferer to be shaped like sickles, instead of the normal round shape. This causes the cells to become stuck in capillaries, which deprives the body of oxygen and causes ischemia and infarction of downstream tissue.

The disease usually occurs in periodic painful attacks, eventually leading to damage of some internal organs, stroke, or anaemia and resulting in decreased lifespan. It is known to be common in countries with a high incidence of malaria, especially along the West African coast.

At the outset of the disease, red blood cells are capable of regaining their original shape and elasticity when oxygen concentration increases. However, with repeated bouts of low oxygen conditions, red blood cells permanently lose their elasticity and are unable to flow through narrow capillaries, causing vessel occlusion and ischemia. (inadequate supply of blood to a part of the body, caused by partial or total blockage of an artery).

A person who receives the defective gene from both father and mother develops the disease; a person who receives one defective and one healthy allele remains healthy, but can pass on the disease and is known as a carrier. If two parents who are carriers have a child, there is a 1-in-4 chance of their child developing the illness and a 1-in-2 chance of their child just being a carrier.