Posted by From Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja on
The Federal Government said yesterday that the country would go into local manufacture of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and the Artemisinin containing therapies for malaria (ACTs).
The Federal Government said yesterday that the country would go into local manufacture of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and the Artemisinin containing therapies for malaria (ACTs).
Government also disclosed that another local pharmaceutical manufacturing plant for the production of "NICOSAN", a pytomedicine for the management of sickle cell anaemia would be built in Abuja.
Speaking in Abuja at the opening of the National Institute for Phamarceutical Research (NIPDR) training course on Good Manufacturing Practices for Pharmaceuticals and How to Manage Clinical Trials, the Minister of State for Health, Princess Funke Adedoyin said the country would soon go into the manufacturing of the aforesaid drugs.
"Hosting this course at this point in time in my opinion is very timely because Nigeria is one of the countries that will soon start the local manufacturing of the ARVs and ACTs. There is a compelling need for our pharmaceutical and clinical research experts to update their knowlege and skills of these phamaceutical products", she said.
She noted that "it is hoped that the NIPRD with its cadre of scientific personnel will soon begin to show interest in the synthesis and formuation studies of ARVs and ACTs. We must also encourage and build adequate capacity for the local production of these medicines and ensure that their quality comply with all established international standards".
She commended the private firm of Xechem International and the Howard University Pace Center for collaborating with the NIPRD in the organisation of this course. She said the Xechem firm was building the said local pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Abuja for the production of NICOSAN.