Wednesday, December 08, 2010 6:20:06 PM
Production of Nicosan to begin in weeks-NIPRD DG
Stories by Emeka Umejei, Reporter, Lagos
• Gamaniel
LAST UPDATED AT Wed Dec, 08 2010
The Director-General (DG) of Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Professor Karniyus Gamaniel, disclosed that production of Nicosan, an effective drug for treatment and management of sickle-cell anemia will soon be resuscitated.
“The minister has set up a committee on the resuscitation of the Nicosan and I am sure in the next few months or weeks, Nicosan would be back may be not in large scale because what Government has done is to ask NIPRD to produce on social production. As a social responsibility to people that need Nicosan,” Gamaniel stated.
“The process takes long, NAFDAC has to inspect the facility, the council has to approve the person that is going to be in charge whose license is going to be used to re-establish it and then we start producing. We would produce for a while and in the mean time work out for a competent pharmaceutical company who will be licensed for production.”
Gamaniel, who spoke to Daily Independent in his Abuja office said Nicosan as proven effective in the management of sickle cell anemia crises and treatment.
“Nicosan does not cure but manages sickle; from our study the number of crises that victims undergo reduces significantly and the number of hospital visits. I have seen people who had bad situation but when they started using the drug their situation changed. If Food and drug administration (FDA,USA) can admit the product as orphan drug, then Nigeria should be proud that we made this kind of discovery,” Gamaniel stated.
Stating further, Gamaniel said Nicosan stopped being produced following what he described as management problem with the company that got the production license.
“Since 2008 it has not been in production because there was a management problem with the company that got the license from NIPRD to produce Nicosan, they dragged themselves to court and all that.So, NIPRD under the directive of the minister of health withdrew their license which was even challenged in a court in the United States of America(USA),” Gamaniel disclosed .
“NIPRD has never taken anybody to court but for withdrawing her license based on lay down agreements, the shareholders took NIPRD to court in the US. So, we had to pay money to sponsor lawyers to go to the US and engage a resident lawyer to defend us .We won the case but we lost money. It was an unfortunate situation because if we had that money today and we dedicate it to Research and Development of our herbal, taking into consideration the processes that we have set up we would move forward. “
Happy Holidays All Xchemers ! Sounds like a Xmas present for SCD sufferers eh?
Stories by Emeka Umejei, Reporter, Lagos
• Gamaniel
LAST UPDATED AT Wed Dec, 08 2010
The Director-General (DG) of Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Professor Karniyus Gamaniel, disclosed that production of Nicosan, an effective drug for treatment and management of sickle-cell anemia will soon be resuscitated.
“The minister has set up a committee on the resuscitation of the Nicosan and I am sure in the next few months or weeks, Nicosan would be back may be not in large scale because what Government has done is to ask NIPRD to produce on social production. As a social responsibility to people that need Nicosan,” Gamaniel stated.
“The process takes long, NAFDAC has to inspect the facility, the council has to approve the person that is going to be in charge whose license is going to be used to re-establish it and then we start producing. We would produce for a while and in the mean time work out for a competent pharmaceutical company who will be licensed for production.”
Gamaniel, who spoke to Daily Independent in his Abuja office said Nicosan as proven effective in the management of sickle cell anemia crises and treatment.
“Nicosan does not cure but manages sickle; from our study the number of crises that victims undergo reduces significantly and the number of hospital visits. I have seen people who had bad situation but when they started using the drug their situation changed. If Food and drug administration (FDA,USA) can admit the product as orphan drug, then Nigeria should be proud that we made this kind of discovery,” Gamaniel stated.
Stating further, Gamaniel said Nicosan stopped being produced following what he described as management problem with the company that got the production license.
“Since 2008 it has not been in production because there was a management problem with the company that got the license from NIPRD to produce Nicosan, they dragged themselves to court and all that.So, NIPRD under the directive of the minister of health withdrew their license which was even challenged in a court in the United States of America(USA),” Gamaniel disclosed .
“NIPRD has never taken anybody to court but for withdrawing her license based on lay down agreements, the shareholders took NIPRD to court in the US. So, we had to pay money to sponsor lawyers to go to the US and engage a resident lawyer to defend us .We won the case but we lost money. It was an unfortunate situation because if we had that money today and we dedicate it to Research and Development of our herbal, taking into consideration the processes that we have set up we would move forward. “
Happy Holidays All Xchemers ! Sounds like a Xmas present for SCD sufferers eh?
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