HIV Drugs Manufactured in Nigeria (Virex Anti-retroviral)

President thumbs up locally-made ARV drugs

An indigenous pharmaceutical firm, Fidson Healthcare Limited, has presented President Olusegun Obasanjo with a set of locally manufactured Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARV).

The drugs in tablets and liquid forms for adults and children respectively were 100 percent formulated and manufactured in Nigeria by Nigerians.

Chairman of the company Mr Fidelis Ayebae said at the presentation ceremony held at the State House Abuja on 12 August that since the entry of his company’s NAFDAC-approved brand of drugs into the Nigerian market, prices of ARVs had dropped drastically.

President Obasanjo in his response acknowledged that he was encouraged by the achievement of the Nigerian company having proved that "where there is a will, there is a way."

He urged the company to also seek the approval of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and break into the West African, regional and global drug markets.

The President assured the company of Federal Government’s patronage and also challenged it to achieve a breakthrough in malaria vaccine.

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Nigerian Firm Makes Breakthrough in HIV Drug

An indigenous pharmaceutical company, Fidson Healthcare Limited, has made a breakthrough in the production of anti-retroviral drug for the management of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immuned Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The new drug, Virex Anti-retroviral, was approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Thursday, prompting the company to go into full production of the drug.

Speaking to Vanguard at their Ikorodu Road, Lagos office, the marketing manager of the company, Mr Ijimakin Eboh Ola, said that the breakthrough in the production of anti-retroviral drug is just the beginning of many good things to come from the company.

He explained that the feat by Fidson Healthcare Ltd was the first of its kind in the whole of West Africa.

According to him, the journey for the production of the highly demanded drug started four years ago and the breakthrough came this year.

“We have one of the best research facilities in the industry and Virex anti retroviral drug is just the first and a lot of others will follow,” he said.

Continuing, he explained that there is no known cure for HIV/AIDs as all drugs available are aimed at bringing the viral load to the lowest level, adding that evidence has shown that Virex can do it.

The marketing manager, who stated that his company will continue to research towards finding a cure for the disease, explained that the only way to grow in the industry is through research.

“We are committed to research, which is a continuous thing in our company” he said.

On why they went into the research for HIV/AIDS anti-retroviral drugs, Mr Ola explained that three things brought them into it, which he describe as the three A’s (Affiordability, Availability and Accessibility).

According to him, though there could be other anti-retroviral drugs by multi-national pharmaceutical companies, yet they are not affordable, available and accessible to the over one million HIV carriers in the country.

He therefore said that Fidson Healthcare will ensure that all the three A’s problems faced by the patients are solved.

“Whatever this is in the market today, our brand will be better priced, and available” eh stated.

Virex according to him comes in five viriants including for children and adults and could prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child.

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What do you think about this development?

Wow!  Great indeed.  The way things have been going, I have begun to ask myself "can any thing good ever come out of [Nigeria]?"

But wait oh!  Na true this people dey talk?! ("what these people are saying is true?")  It sounds so unbelievable! Someone tell me am not dreaming!

Seun,Thanks for the assurance.Ah ah,am begining to feel good again to be a Nigerian!
As a medic,I will certainly follow up! This should make the treatment of HIV much cheaper,if not free for many Nigerians.Please let's have more of such news.