Posted on: Wed 13-01-2021

National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) has said that home grown response to COVID-19 pandemic remains the best option to pursue, appealing to stakeholders to support local research institutions develop treatment for Coronavirus and other public health issues.  

NIPRD cited Niprimune capsule, a product it developed shortly before the index case of COVID-19 in the country, saying it had proven to be effective in the treatment of the deadly virus, though the support had not come for final clinical trial of the pharmaceutical product.  

Director General of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, said he was “heartbroken” few days ago when Thailand approved the use of a product made of an active ingredient used in the formulation of Niprimune capsule for the treatment of COVID-19.  

“Our formulation is more sophisticated than the one approved in Thailand. Besides, the case fatality ratio in Thailand is less than the case in Nigeria. It means that our challenge is funding support. We finished the pre-clinical trial of Niprimune few years ago and it proved to be effective in treating viral diseases in the class of COVID-19. All we need is support for final clinical trials. It was only an organisation from Burkina Faso that responded to our request.”  

Notwithstanding, Adigwe, said NIPRD had put up measures to support the Federal Government in the clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines when it eventually arrives Nigeria.  

Head, Pharmaceutical Technology and Raw Materials Development for the institute, Prof. Martins Emeje, said the COVID-19 vaccine could spring up different development.  

Source: sun

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