Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry recently received a boost with the launch of Zentiva on the stable of Sanofi Company. Zentiva is one of the third largest generics company in Europe that develops, manufactures and distributes generics drugs to improve and prolong lives of patients. Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director of Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, Mr. Abderrahmane Chakibi, said that the company’s ambition is to increase access to health care through the provision of innovative medicines and disease management expertise.
He promised that the company will continue to invest in research and development activities in order to discover and develop new therapeutic solutions in response to emerging health challenges. He said one of our strategies is to continue to provide safe, effective and cost-effective medicines to support the driving down of overall health care costs. “This is why we are unveiling our portfolio of quality and cost effective generic medicines under the identity of Zentiva in Nigeria. It is in direct reinforcement of Sanofi ’s ‘access to healthcare ambitions’.” In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Ogun State who was the Special Guest of Honour, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, stated that Zentiva’s entry into Nigeria would enhance accessibility to quality health care. He underscored need to offer quality health care service to the citizenry. “There is a huge gap in the health care spend in the more developed economies when compared to what is spent on health care in this part of the world. Many citizens cannot afford the kind and quality of medicines that are used in developed countries. So, one of the ways to get the citizens to afford qualitative drugs is to support companies that produce generic medicines. That is why I will align with organizations that explore innovative ways of providing qualitative and affordable healthcare and services.” Director, Drug Evaluation and Research of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Mrs. Titilope Owolabi, educated the audience on the differences between innovator, generics and counterfeit drugs.
According to her, the innovator or branded drugs have undergone the process of research and development and have been patented and marketed; while generic drugs are the equivalent copies of the innovator drugs after the latter’s patents have expired. She further explained that generic drugs are subjected to the same level of regulatory scrutiny as the branded drugs and therefore must undergo similar process of quality assurance in their manufacture. Mrs. Owolabi stated: “Despite the lower costs of the generic drugs, considerations for their quality, safety and effi cacy are never compromised when it comes to the process of their approval by the drug regulatory agency.”
By: David Audu
National Mirror News
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