Nigeria Drugmakers, Fidson partners Chinese firms to reduce importation of drugs
Nigeria Drugmakers, Fidson Healthcare Plc, has partnered with Jiangsu Aidea Pharmaceutical Co., PharmaBlock Sciences Nanjing Inc. and the China-Africa Development Fund to build a $100 million plant in Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos State.
This development is aimed at alleviating shortage of medicines and foster self-reliance in health-care delivery, especially to tackle HIV in Nigeria and to reduce importation of drugs into the country.
Fidson Healthcare Plc signed a cooperation memorandum with Jiangsu Aidea Pharmaceutical Co., PharmaBlock Sciences Nanjing Inc. and the China-Africa Development Fund to start building the facility in the commercial capital of Lagos within the next 30 months.
The Nigeria drug manufacturing firm venture aims to enhance the country’s healthcare self-reliance, particularly in addressing HIV treatment needs.
The country is home to approximately 2 million people living with HIV, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.
Nigeria faces significant challenges in healthcare, with all anti-retroviral drugs currently being imported. This reliance, combined with economic pressures such as inflation, insecurity, and energy shortages, has contributed to a worsening shortage of essential medicines.
Nigeria imports all its anti-retroviral drugs, limiting availability, and with the exit of US and European multinationals out of Nigeria, including GSK Plc and Sanofi SA, Nigerian company, Fidson Healthcare Plc, which manufactured over-the-counter drugs for GSK, is stepping in to fill the void in the country’s drug-supply chain.
Recent exits by multinational drugmakers, including GSK Plc and Sanofi SA, have left a gap in the supply chain for treatments for opportunistic infections, particularly among HIV patients.
Fidson, which previously manufactured over-the-counter products for GSK, is working to fill this void, having launched over 16 new products since June 2023.
“By integrating our expertise and experience in the field of innovative drugs, we are confident in bringing greater well-being to patients,” Fidson said in a statement, highlighting the mutual benefits of the partnership.
This initiative could mark a significant turning point for Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, addressing long-standing drug shortages and bolstering the local production of essential medicines.
The firm has introduced more than 16 new products since June last year, according to the company. ...Continue Reading
