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Association donates N10m for production of sickle cell drug

Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has donated N10 million to the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to boost the production of NIPRISAN.

NIPRISAN is a drug used for the management of sickle cell anaemia.

Mr Ahmed Yakasai, President of the association, made the donation when the society visited the NIPRD Director-General, Prof. Karyinus Gamaniel, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yakasai noted that the institute had not been producing much of the drugs, thus the concern of the society to help the public with regard to efficient healthcare services.

According to him, the seed money will be used to revive the institute.

The PSN president urged the institute to from next week resume mass production of the drugs and flood the market.

Yakasai, who described the institute as a centre of excellence, assured of NIPRISAN’s commitment to collaborate with both national and international bodies to boost its research and production capacity, among others.

“The institute has been looking for investors to assist in the production of NIPRISAN for the sickle cell drugs and they are not producing much and this is social service.

“Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria believes in helping the public as far as health care is concern.

“We are giving a seed money to revive the place to start producing NIPRISAN for the good of the common man.

“We are investing N10 million into the production of the drug immediately.

“And the institute will start production from next week and it will flood the market. Instead of producing few tablets it will be in thousands now.

“We are really going for industrialisation, we must promote research and development also we are collaborating with the institute and will be its ambassador.

“The society will lobby national and international levels to meet its funding gaps, support policies geared toward boosting the institute.

“It also will look for other partners in trade industries so that they can benefit in terms of financing research and development,” Yakasai said.

Earlier, the NIPRD director-general noted that the institute was established with the support of the society, describing PSN task as a watchdog over the activities of the institute.

However, Gamaniel said that the institute would explore available ways of increasing the internally generated revenue from the various services it renders.

According to him, if NIPRD is able to scale up the production of NIPRISAN through the support of the society it would render good services and further boost the financial capability of the institute.

Gamaniel, who identified NIPRISAN as the best medicine currently for the management of sickle cell anaemia, however appealed for the support of pharmaceutical industries in the manufacturing of the drug, among others.

He said that the society was aimed at ensuring good pharmacy practice, adding that they offer professional advice to all governments and stakeholders in the health sector on drugs and related issues.

The director-general noted that management of disease conditions and ill health all over the world revolves round access to good medicines and technology.

He, however, solicited for the collaboration of PSN, describing such collaboration as the only practical way the nation can achieve the goals of impacting positively on the citizens.

Gamaniel noted that the institute was collaborating with the society on projects aimed at obtaining clear understanding of the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria.

“PSN is the strongest voice which we can use to advice government on certain issues.

“There is need for the society and NIPRD to work out a strategy for generating and using scientific evidence to strengthen our own voice and make meaningful impact.

“If we do not work together it will be difficult to achieve the goal of establishing NIPRD and indeed the impact of pharmacy and healthcare in the country.

“We will work with the society to carry out a study to determine the impact of national health programmes and policies on the pharmaceutical sector in Nigeria,’’ said the director-general.

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