Three firms—AMA Medical Manufacturing Company, Echitab Study Group Nigeria, and Micropharm Ltd., United Kingdom (UK)—have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the production of snake anti-venom (ASV) in Nigeria.
The firms signed the MoU in Kaduna on Tuesday at the AMA medical manufacturing company.
Nasidi Abdulsalami, chairman of AMA medical manufacturing company, said the MoU is a huge leap that would help the country.
Abdulsalami said the agreement represents a good initiative for public-private partnership (PPP), “which looks forward to the full participation of the federal and state governments and other Nigerians”.
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“We expect meaningful Nigerians that are blessed to contribute because it is a social investment aimed at saving lives,” he said.
“The ASV drugs are lifesaving products. We can never allow the drugs to vanish because Nigerians need them, especially the farmers and herders.
“The MOU signing today serves as the beginning of self-sufficiency for the product not only in the country but the entire continent because countries look up to Nigeria for good leadership.
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“I am proud to announce that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has tested all the ASV drugs available in the world and found out that our ASV, for which we are developing this partnership today with micropharm, is the best.
“Micropharm products that are produced in the UK are the best; the second is the one produced by Costa Rica.
“For 22 years, we worked hard to actualise the local production of ASV drugs. That dream has become real today.”
On his part, Lan Cameroon, chief executive officer (CEO) of Micropharm, expressed gratitude for the signing of the MOU and regretted the persistent scarcity of ASV drugs in the country.
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He said that the quest for ASV drugs in the country started in the early 1970s when David Wanns, a professor at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), and Zaria took a live snake from Nigeria to Liverpool, where the first venom was removed for first production.
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