Nigeria to start production of sickle cell drugs by December –NEXIM

Normal Red Blood Cells and Sickle Cells

Nigeria to start production of sickle cell drugs by December –NEXIM

Mr Roberts Orya, the Managing Director, Nigeria Export and Import Bank, has promised that the production of `NIPRISAN', a Sickle Cell drug, will commence in the next 60 days.

Mr. Orya disclosed this in an interview with the media in Washington DC.

“I believe that as soon as I get back to the country, we will sign the MoU and then we commence the process.
“Give and take, we should be looking at 45 to 60 days, we should commence the production of NIPRISAN that is by December.’’

Loan

Orya explained that the new Minister of State for Health, Alhaji Mohammed Pate, has taken the production of the drug as his priority.

He said that delay in commencing production of the drug caused by some challenges among the stakeholders but promised that the production would commence as soon the MoU was signed.

NEXIM has syndicated more than N700 million in loan with Diamond Bank and Bank PHB for the production of the drugs in the country.

“We have the highest exposure and that is why we are driving the process,’’ Orya said.

'Nicosan'

It would be recalled that the Federal Government two years ago, stopped the production of NIPRISAN, formerly known as `Nicosan' , due to issues bordering on finance.

Nicosan, which was discovered by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), was produced then by Xechem Nigeria Ltd.

The drug, produced with extracts from four botanical plants indigenous to Nigeria, does not cure sickle cell anaemia, a disease of black people, but only manages to reduce the frequency of the ailment.

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NAN/Iheanacho