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NIPRD Begins Production of Sickle Cell Drug
Article | August 26, 2013 - 5:21am | By Michael Paul
Prof. Karniyus Gamaniel, the Director-General, NIPRD

http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/niprd-begins-production-sickle-cell-drug

The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development on Sunday in Abuja said it had begun the production of Niprisan drug at a pilot stage for the management of sickle cell.

Prof. Karniyus Gamaniel, the Director-General of the institute, told newsmen that the drug was sold by the institute directly to the people with sickle cell condition.

He said it was officially launched in 2006 but was out of circulation in November 2008 following the closure of the company that had the patent right.

``Niprosan is now given to patients based on consent; it is given directly to the patient at the rate of N3,000 and we are not scaling up because we need bigger facilities.

``We are also careful with the issue of sponsorship. I hope that before the year runs out, we shall celebrate Niprisan in terms of pilot production,’’ he said.

``The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said we can produce for either six months or a one year.

``When the terrain is calm enough and they see that the drug is helping people, we can then advertise and give to a company that can mass produce it. But this time around, a Nigeria company,’’ he said.

``The drug (product) does not cure but it brings about clinical relief and reduces number of hospital visitations.

``There are other products in the pipeline but our duty is to bring them out. We are also adding `Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIS)' to the products as value addition,’’ Gamaniel said.

He said that Niprisan was a combination of material which included predominantly food substance but it worked better when they were mixed together.

According to a medical journal (medicinenet), sickle cell anaemia (sickle cell disease) is a disorder of the blood caused by inherited abnormal haemoglobin (an oxygen-carrying protein within the red blood cells).

The abnormal haemoglobin causes distorted (sickle) red blood cells.

The sickle red blood cells are fragile and prone to rupture, when the number of red blood cells decreases from rupture (hemolysis), anaemia results.

``This condition is referred to as sickle cell anaemia, the irregular sickled cells can also block blood vessels, causing tissue and organ damage and severe pain.’’